The Transfer Ambiguity
by KalaLH
Summary: "We're married now Amy, and this transfer has changed both of us. It's made us do things we never used to do, feel things we never felt, and say things we'd never say!" - Amy gets transferred and Sheldon comes after her to confess his love. Their relationship paradigm changes forever, and so do they, as they learn that they can get through anything together! (Intentionally OOC. )
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: A totally different Shamy story than I'm used to writing. I'm just giving it a shot really. This is ****not**** a smut/lemon fic. Please, if anyone has any hateful comments or flames, keep them to yourself as I've had problems on my last two fanfictions, and it's totally unnecessary and pretty crushing to say the least. I have worked my butt off to keep Sheldon and Amy as in-character as possible! I really hope you enjoy this fic, because I can tell I'll love writing it! :)**

**..**

"Sheldon, I thought we were going to watch a movie tonight?" Amy complained, as she closed the magazine that she had borrowed from Penny.

Sheldon turned around in his desk chair and blinked.

"We are; I'm just going to finish composing this email." He replied, turning back to face the computer monitor.

Amy stood up and wandered over, peering over Sheldon's shoulder.

She rolled her eyes. "Sheldon, you can email the soy sauce manufacturer anytime. I have to leave by 11. I have work tomorrow."

"Amy. That soy sauce contained more black beanvariantthan I'm used to. It changed the flavour considerably." Sheldon argued.

"Who cares? And no, that is not an invitation for you to ramble about it for an hour." Amy replied, seeing Sheldon open his mouth to argue.

He closed it again and sighed. "Fine." He stood up and slotted a DVD into the player, before turning the lights out and settling into his spot.

Amy produced a sharing-size bag of popcorn from her bag and opened it, offering some to Sheldon.

"No thank you. We just had dinner." Sheldon declined as the opening credits rolled.

Amy shrugged and took a handful, before placing the popcorn bag on the floor.

Returning her gaze to the screen, her eyes widened in realisation.

"We're watching a horror movie?" She questioned.

"Yes." Sheldon replied, "And I haven't seen this one yet, so if you have, please don't spoil it."

"I haven't seen it either, Sheldon. I'm not so good with horror movies." Amy admitted.

"If you get scared, there's a pillow. Cover your eyes." Sheldon nodded towards the pillow on the couch next to Amy.

The two of them settled down and began to enjoy the horror movie (or in Amy's case; enjoy it as much as she could!)

There was the odd snort or scoff from Sheldon every so often, eventually followed by: "This movie is full of scientific inaccuracy. For one, ghosts don't exist, and if they did, I fail to see how a disembodied soul could cause physical harm to a living and breathing human being."

Amy frowned. "Maybe in a parallel universe, ghosts _do _exist." She countered.

Sheldon nodded. "You could be right."

"Sheldon, if you don't like the horror movie then why did you insist that we watch it?" Amy asked.

"I never said I didn't like it; I merely stated that it is scientifically inaccurate." He replied, his eyes still focused on the screen.

Amy was about to open her mouth to argue, when the ghost in the movie made a sudden movement, and the music hit a dramatic note.

Amy shrieked, and almost jumped into Sheldon's lap, flinging her arms around him.

Sheldon's body stiffened at this sudden physical contact and his eyes widened as he looked down at Amy, whose face was buried in his neck.

Seconds later, Amy realised exactly what she was doing and recoiled back to her spot on the couch, smoothing down her hair and not daring to meet Sheldon's eye.

When he did, he was eyeing her with a mixed look of shock and puzzlement.

"Sorry…I-I don't know what came over me. That ghost scared the hell out of me." Amy mumbled.

Sheldon eyed her warily for another second. "It's not real Amy, it's fiction. Would you like me to switch the DVD off?"

Amy nodded.

Sheldon clicked a button on the remote and ended the movie, turning off the TV screen with the other remote.

He leaned back in his seat, licking his lips as silence fell between them.

"Sheldon I'm sorry for throwing myself onto you. It wasn't my intention." Amy said again.

"It's okay…I mean it's not like we haven't cuddled before. Just please give me notice next time." Sheldon replied.

Amy nodded. "Well, I should get going." She cleared her throat and stood up, gathering her things.

"It's only 9:30," Sheldon replied. "We can play Counterfactuals or watch something else if you'd prefer."

"No, I'm getting tired, but thank you anyway…For a lovely night…I mean, before me throwing myself on you…I should go. Goodbye Sheldon." Amy hurried out of the door, leaving Sheldon confused.

As Leonard walked into the living room from his bedroom, he frowned at the now vacant space on the couch, and then looked to Sheldon, who was still stood up by the door, and still confused.

"Did Amy leave?" Leonard asked.

"Yes…We had an odd encounter." Sheldon replied.

"Oh, so the usual." Leonard commented.

"Leonard, please refrain from your sarcastic comments. Something happened between Amy and I, and I think she feels bad about it." Sheldon confided, moving to the kitchen to make some tea.

"What happened? Did you guys make out?" Leonard asked.

"No! Keep your ludicrous ideas to yourself. Why would I exchange saliva with anyone?"

Leonard rolled his eyes at his roommate.

"Well then what happened?"

"Amy…Jumped on me."

Leonard's eyes widened. "When you say 'jumped on you', what exactly do you mean?"

"We were watching a horror movie, the ghost suddenly appeared, and Amy shrieked and practically jumped on my lap and cuddled me, hiding her face in my neck." Sheldon explained.

"Well that's hardly a sexual advance Sheldon. Why are you worrying about that? Not so long ago, you were admitting that you are working on having a sexual relationship with her in the future, and you're worried by a little cuddling?" Leonard folded his arms.

"I'm not _worried _by it; Amy and I have cuddled before, as you know." Sheldon answered, "And we've kissed."

Leonard's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Wait, what?! You guys kissed? Since when?"

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Leonard. Why are you fixating on the unimportant? Yes, Amy briefly kissed me when she was drunk in the first year of our relationship, before we made it official."

"Well, wait…What? I mean, did you kiss her back?" Leonard spluttered.

Sheldon said nothing.

"Oh my God, you did, didn't you?" Leonard stared at him in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me? And why are you so afraid to kiss her again or touch her again?"

"Well, a) because I knew you would react like this, and b) because when we kissed, she vomited. And may I add to that, that it was not because of me, but because of the alcohol. That and I don't know how to kiss." Sheldon looked at the floor.

"It's easy you just do this…" Leonard pouted his lips and made a kissing noise.

Sheldon raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"That looks ridiculous."

"It doesn't if you're kissing someone as opposed to kissing the air." Leonard replied. "Anyway, why did Amy freak out after this…Whatever it was?"

Sheldon shrugged. "Maybe she has also come to the realisation that physical contact is pointless and felt bad about it."

"I highly doubt that." Leonard shook his head. "I think it's because she was worried that it freaked _you _out."

Sheldon made a face, and nodded.

"Well did it?" Leonard prompted.

"Not really. It didn't scare me so much as it confused me. Most of my thoughts were focused on trying to understand what social convention it was, but then she clarified that it was from fear." Sheldon replied.

"Look Sheldon, you need to reassure her. Tell her what you just told me. You know Amy wants a physical relationship with you…Hell; the poor girl wants a _normal _relationship with you! Don't make it too hard on her."

Sheldon sighed. "Alright, I'll text her. But Leonard, relax, she isn't _that _desperate to be physical with me; it's not like Amy is in love with me or anything!"…


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: In the last chapter, there was a typo. What was supposed to say 'black bean variant' has decided to clump together as one word, even though it wasn't like that on the original Word document? Haha, just to clear that up! :)**

**..**

Amy arrived home and slumped on her couch, her head in her hands.

"How humiliating." She sighed to herself.

Picking up her phone, she checked the time and realised that Sheldon had text her.

_Amy, I wish you didn't have to leave so promptly. Please be assured that your impulsive action did not, to use Leonard's term; 'freak me out' or offend me. I propose that we pretend that never happened and resume with our relationship as normal. Sheldon._

Amy groaned. "Typical!"

She was about to throw her phone down, but she really needed to talk to someone.

Penny would have finished work by now.

Amy dialled Penny's number and waited for her friend to answer.

"Hi Ames! I just finished work, what's up?"

"Hi Penny. I was just wondering if you were free to talk for a while, but if you have just finished work, I can wait until you get home if you want to call me back." Amy replied.

"Hold on sweetie, I'll drive over to you." Penny said, and ended the call.

Amy didn't expect Penny to come round after her shift, but she was grateful all the same.

She tidied up her appearance a bit, and waited for her friend to arrive.

When Penny turned up, she took a seat on Amy's couch.

"Would you like something to drink?" Amy offered.

"No thanks. So what's wrong? You sound upset." Penny asked, turning to face Amy as she took a seat.

"I practically jumped on Sheldon earlier…Not like that; we were watching a horror movie and the ghost jumped out, I got scared and ended up half on Sheldon's lap, my arms wrapped around him and my face in his neck." Amy explained.

Penny grimaced. "Oh…And he freaked out?"

"No…I did."

"_You _did? Why?"

Amy sighed. "Because I knew he'd get weird about it and I didn't want to scare him off. Although, he has since text me explaining that this wasn't the case…"

Penny cocked her head to one side. "What's really going on, Amy?"

"What do you mean?"

"You seem upset, and surely this isn't the thing that's upsetting you so much?"

"I am a little upset." Amy confessed.

Penny scooted closer and put her arm around Amy's shoulders. "What's troubling you?" She asked.

Amy shook her head. "I love him, Penny. I know it's stupid of me because he will never return the feelings, and he will never touch me like a lover."

Penny bit her lip, recalling the personal conversation that she and Leonard had had with Sheldon once. "You know, I wouldn't be so sure of that…"

"Why not?" Amy frowned.

"Well…Sheldon said he's working on things and sees himself having a physical relationship with you…But please, _please _don't tell him I told you this. He'll kill me…Or give me another strike!" Penny replied.

"You have my word." Amy promised. "But I'm sorry Penny; I just can't see it happening."

"Let him try…Let him prove himself to you Amy." Penny said, gently.

"Penny, it's been almost three years and he's yet to initiate any sort of contact…Well, apart from the spanking, but there's only so many times I can convince myself that he did that with any intention other than punishment." Amy responded, sadly. She took a breath. "He said he wants to pretend that what happened earlier never happened, and that we resume our relationship as normal."

Penny rolled her eyes. "That old chestnut, huh?"

"Exactly." Amy confirmed. "I'm tired of re-starting or resuming as normal every time something happens. I'm tired of not being able to tell my boyfriend that I love him, and I'm tired of knowing that he will never be attracted to me in any way other than intellect!" Amy broke down into tears, covering her face with her hands.

Penny hugged her friend tight and stroked her hair, pained at seeing her so upset.

She didn't know what to say or do.

If she had it her way, she would march over there and tell that lanky bastard to get a grip, but she knew that wouldn't help.

"I can talk to him if you want me to?" Penny offered. "I'll try not to yell at him."

Amy shook her head. "I appreciate it Penny, but I wouldn't want to drive a wedge between you and Sheldon."

Penny snorted. "Are you kidding? _Sheldon _drives the wedge between me and Sheldon!" She laughed, "This is nothing new, and I hate seeing my best friend upset."

Amy considered Penny's offer. "Can you get through to him?" She whispered.

"I can try, sweetie." Penny nodded.

Amy smiled and thanked her.

"I'll go do it now before I go home to bed." Penny said. "I'll text you and tell you what happens."

Penny got to her feet and hurried to the door to exit Amy's apartment.

"Thank you Penny, I really appreciate this." Amy smiled, gratefully.

..

Penny arrived back at her apartment block, stopping outside 4A and knocking.

She waited.

Sheldon answered. "Hello Penny. Leonard, Penny's here!" He called.

"Actually it's you I came to talk to." Penny replied.

Sheldon frowned. "Oh…Well come in. How can I help you?"

"It's not me you need to be helping." Penny replied, folding her arms.

At that moment, Leonard emerged by the doorway.

"Hey beautiful." He greeted, kissing Penny on the lips.

"Hey handsome!" Penny returned the kiss.

"When you two are done with your unnecessary saliva exchange, Penny would like to speak to me." Sheldon rolled his eyes.

"Okay, _that's _what I need to talk to you about." Penny said, sighing impatiently. "Amy is distraught."

"She is? Why? Should I go see her?" Sheldon got to his feet to grab his windbreaker.

"No…She's distraught about what happened tonight."

"But I didn't do anything!" Sheldon protested.

"It's about the text you sent her." Penny replied. "You upset her."

"I do not understand this at all; how could I possibly upset her? I was not rude or aggressive in any way. I merely said that I am not offended or freaked out by her getting frightened and impulsively cuddling me."

"Sheldon, you asked her to forget that it happened and to resume your relationship as it was. You keep doing that to her!"

"Again, I don't understand…"

Penny rolled her eyes. "Sheldon…Amy has been your girlfriend for almost three years now, and you will barely touch her. She has needs and desires, and I know that you do, too!"

Sheldon widened his eyes. "I most certainly do not!"

"And I know that you love her back." Penny added. "Stop denying your girlfriend, and yourself, of simple things. Cuddling and kissing is nothing. I understand you being worried about sex, and that's fine, but please Sheldon. _Try _with Amy…_Try _to be physical with her. If not, you might lose her."

Sheldon blinked and looked at the floor.

"You know how hard it is for me." He said, quietly. "But I will try."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Penny smiled at him, and then turned to Leonard.

"Are we still on for dinner tomorrow?" She asked.

"Yes, and I'm taking you somewhere romantic!" Leonard grinned, taking Penny's waist and kissing her on the lips.

Sheldon observed them silently.

It didn't look _too _hard…Although the kiss would mean touching someone else's lips and possibly contracting something.

He gave himself a mental shake and made his way out of the room, pausing at the step.

"Penny?"

"Yes Sheldon?"

He took a deep breath. "Before…When you said 'I know you love her back', what exactly did you mean by that?"

Penny shrugged. "I meant I know you love Amy back."

"_Back? _Does Amy… love me?"

The blonde waitress bit her lip and raised her eyebrows. "What do you think?"


	3. Chapter 3

Sheldon sat at the table of the fancy Italian restaurant the following night, and checked his watch.

_Six fifty-six; she should be here by now. _He thought to himself.

He scanned the room, and at last, spotted Amy hurrying through the doorway, searching for Sheldon.

He stood up, and upon spotting him, Amy approached the table.

Sheldon pulled the seat opposite him out, for Amy to sit in.

"Thank you." She uttered, sitting down.

"Apologies for my tardiness. I left work late." Amy explained.

"Understood. Although, for a moment, I didn't think you would come." Sheldon replied.

"Why wouldn't I?" Amy frowned.

"Because of last night." Sheldon responded. "On that note, I would like to offer my apologies to you for the nature of my text upsetting you. It wasn't my intention, and I would like you to know that I am going to try harder to be the boyfriend you deserve."

Amy blushed crimson, and looked down at her lap, smiling.

"Thank you Sheldon." She whispered, looking back up.

They both opened their menus, scanning the choices and selecting their food.

After the waiter had taken their orders and set their drinks down on the table, Sheldon leaned forward slightly.

"So, how is work going?" He asked.

Amy smiled at Sheldon's thoughtfulness.

"It was great, thank you. There's some gossip going around and…You know what? Never mind, you don't like gossip." She was about to change the subject, when Sheldon spoke up.

"No, tell me. What's the 411?"

Amy smirked at Sheldon's attempted use of slang and bit back a laugh. "Ahem. Well, apparently someone in the neurobiology department is being offered a five month contract in Florida!"

Sheldon raised his eyebrows, taking a sip of his water. "What does the job entail?"

"It's a marine biology centre in Tampa, and the job is to discover whether dolphins and humans are similar in brain activity and thought patterns. The lucky candidate gets to study the dolphins in an animal-friendly way, which is much more appealing to me than testing out drugs on mice and primates." Amy's eyes danced.

"I see, that sounds fascinating! So, in order to be considered in the selection process, do you need to submit an application, or are you just offered the position based on seniority or your quality of work?" Sheldon asked.

"I don't know." Amy admitted. "I just hope the rumour is true. How cool would that be?"

"It does sound good. But I thought you liked testing drugs on animals?"

"Well…I do, but I always feel guilty. At least this way I can be rest assured that no harm will come to the dolphins."

Sheldon nodded in reply. "Well…I hope you get selected Amy."

Amy grinned. "Thank you Sheldon! It's an amazing opportunity. But I doubt I'll get selected to be honest. But enough about me... How is your work coming along?"

"It's okay thank you." Sheldon replied, "I'm currently working on string perturbation theory, namely its applications to phenomenological string models."

Amy nodded. "Sounds good."

When their food was delivered to the table, Amy tucked in daintily.

Sheldon bit his lip and pushed a tomato round his plate.

"Amy, may I ask you a question?"

Amy looked up and finished her mouthful. "Of course."

"It's quite personal." Sheldon warned.

"Um…Okay…"

Sheldon leaned forward again. "Amy…Is it true…I mean, do you…"

"Do I what, Sheldon?" Amy frowned.

"Do you love me?" He asked quietly.

Amy felt her heart pound in her chest, her mouth became dry and her head spun.

"Uh…I…" She stammered, searching for her voice. "Why?"

"I just wondered if a woman of your intellect really had romantic feelings for me." Sheldon replied. "I mean…Isn't it really just a biochemical reaction in the brain that less intelligent people refer to as 'falling in love'?"

Amy stared at him in disbelief. "It's much more than that…"

"An emotional, and sometimes sexual, attachment?" Sheldon queried.

"Well yes, but..."

"And is that what you feel for me?"

Amy squirmed uncomfortably. "Why are you asking me this?"

"I have been informed that…You may have those sorts of feelings towards me." Sheldon replied.

Amy sighed and covered her face with a hand. "Okay, okay…Look, I know your views on love are not the same as mine, but I can't help it. Despite your aversions to physical contact, I have been your girlfriend for almost three years now, and yes." She took a deep breath. "I do love you Sheldon."

Sheldon nodded, looking down at his plate shyly.

"But I know you don't feel the same for me." Amy breathed.

"Amy, honestly, I don't know what I feel." Sheldon confessed, "I am unfamiliar with romantic feelings and notions and what have you, so I can't tell you what I feel if I am unsure of it."

Amy pursed her lips and closed her eyes, nodding slowly.

"But what I am familiar with is my attraction to you, and I would like to one day be able to touch you… kiss you… without fear." Sheldon added.

Amy swallowed. "Thank you for being honest with me." She whispered.

Sensing Amy's sadness, Sheldon tentatively reached out his hand.

Amy frowned down at it, and looked back up into Sheldon's eyes, searching for an explanation.

"Take my hand." He said, sounding more confident than he felt.

"Really?"

"Yes…I'd like you to."

Amy gingerly put her hand in his, and felt his fingers curl around her own, slowly.

"I will try my best, Amy." He said, looking into her eyes. "I promise you."

..

That night as Sheldon walked Amy to her door, Amy turned around to face him.

"Would you like to come in? It's not too late." She offered.

"I was hoping you would ask." He smiled weakly.

Amy let them both into her apartment, and headed straight to the kitchen to pour Sheldon a glass of Yoohoo.

He thanked her and sat down in his favourite spot on Amy's couch, as she joined him.

"So…What shall we talk about?" Amy prompted.

Sheldon licked his lips. "Provided that I have your permission, I would like to try something."

"Uh…Sure." Amy shrugged. "What's that?"

Sheldon said nothing.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly and timidly scooted closer to Amy.

Amy's heart began to beat faster.

Sheldon's face inched closer to hers, and Amy swallowed hard, anticipating his next move.

His soft, slightly parted lips met hers, so lightly that Amy felt as if a feather had landed on her lips.

She closed her eyes, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.

He kissed her gently; it couldn't have lasted more than a second, and then he hurriedly moved back into his seat, flustered.

Amy gazed at him.

Sheldon was now breathing heavily, and his eyes were darting around the floor as he tried to come to terms with what he had just done.

"Sheldon," She whispered, and his eyes met hers. She noted that his eyes were wide, like a frightened deer, so she spoke softly. "Thank you Sheldon. That was lovely, and I'm proud of you for making a move like that."

Sheldon nodded. "Thank you for a wonderful evening Amy, I really must leave now." He smiled politely.

"Would you like me to drive you home?" She offered.

"No, I'll take a taxi, but thank you for the offer, I really must…I have to go." And then he all but ran out of Amy's apartment.

Well, he had done it.

He had finally initiated a kiss with Amy!

Sheldon began sweating and recognized that his symptoms were leading to a panic attack.

He had to get out of the building.

Racing up the hallway until he reached the elevator, Sheldon tried to calm himself.

Back in Amy's apartment, the neurobiologist still stood, staring at the door.

She sighed. "One step forward, three steps back." She muttered, a little sadly.

But then, she remembered the promise that Sheldon had made; he was going to try, and he had been true to his word tonight.

She had to hold on to that; For Sheldon, this was a huge leap!


	4. Chapter 4

The next afternoon after work, Penny had invited Amy and Bernadette over for their Friday Girl's Night.

Knowing that Sheldon had asked Amy to dinner the night before, Penny wanted to know everything.

Amy sighed as she parked outside the apartment block.

She stepped out of the car, and did a double-take as she saw Sheldon and Leonard approaching the building with a bag of take-out.

Sheldon spotted Amy standing by her car.

"Uh…You go ahead Leonard." Sheldon said, "I need to speak to Amy."

Amy's heart began to beat faster.

Leonard nodded. "See you in there. Hi Amy." He nodded at her, pushing open the door.

"Leonard." She smiled.

Sheldon walked closer to Amy and rubbed the back of his head. "Hello Amy." He said softly.

"Hello Sheldon…"

There was a pause.

"Amy I do hope you can forgive me for my abrupt departure last night." He said, looking Amy in the eye. "I panicked. Kissing you was a big step for me."

"I know, Sheldon." Amy replied gently. "But thank you for trying. Please don't be afraid to try again."

Sheldon swallowed. "You're welcome…May I try now?"

Amy blinked. "Are you sure? I mean..."

"I'd like to." He insisted, leaning in slowly.

Sheldon lightly pressed his lips to hers, but Amy felt him shaking a little.

"Sheldon, I can feel you shaking. Stop." She said quietly.

"No, I need to try." He replied, trying again.

Amy still felt him shaking, but this time he was more determined, and placed another kiss on her lips.

He pulled away and took a deep breath.

"That wasn't so bad." He muttered.

Amy bit her lip. "It really isn't. Can't we make this a regular thing?"

Sheldon's breathing quickened. "Oh…Well I'd love to get to that point one day Amy. But let's take it one step at a time."

Amy lowered her head.

"Please don't be sad Amy." He whispered, "I'm really trying."

"I know. It's just that every tiny kiss sends sparks through my body and I want more. I can't help it Sheldon. You know how I feel about you." Amy replied.

"I know." He said.

Amy wished he would tell her he loved her too, but that would never happen.

Before, she could deal with it, but every day grew harder and harder and she had fallen more and more in love with him.

She knew she couldn't really have a relationship with someone who was afraid of touching her, of telling her that he loved her, but she couldn't help it.

It was like Sheldon was a forbidden candy to her, and she wanted him…Needed him.

Blinking, Amy sidestepped him. "Penny's expecting me." She smiled sadly.

"I'll walk up with you then." Sheldon offered.

Amy just nodded half-heartedly.

..

As they reached the top of the stairs, Amy turned to approach Penny's door.

"Have a good night." Sheldon said to her.

"You too." She returned.

They stared at each other for a few seconds before entering the respective apartments.

"Hey Amy!" Penny and Bernadette greeted.

"So, how did it go with Sheldon last night?" Penny pressed, handing Amy a glass of wine.

"Well…If I tell you, will you promise to keep it to yourselves?" She replied.

"Of course."

"He kissed me."

Penny and Bernadette's eyes flew wide. "Wow! He…He kissed you?"

Amy nodded. "It was only lightly, and he did it again twice just now."

Penny grinned. "This is brilliant!"

"Is it?" Amy looked to the floor.

"Yes." Bernadette confirmed. "Come on, you know how Sheldon is; he's taken leaps and bounds trying to prove himself to you. But I'm sensing that you're not fully satisfied?"

"We should be much farther along than this right now. Like you and Howard, or at least Penny and Leonard. Even Raj and Lucy are making more progress than Sheldon and I!" Amy complained, putting her hand to her face in despair.

"Look Amy, we know it's hard for you, but Sheldon really is trying. Please don't give up on him." Penny reassured.

"I can't give up on him; I love him. That's exactly the problem." Amy shook her head.

"He's trying so hard Amy. He's kissed you three times now; that's amazing progress for him!" Bernadette said.

"You're right." Amy nodded. "I should be happier."

"So come on then! It's Girl's Night and we have pizza, cake and chips to snack on, and makeovers to do!" Penny grinned, bringing a big case over to the couch and setting it on her lap.

..

The girls had just finished their pizza and were dolled up, taking group photos on their phones, when Amy's suddenly vibrated.

"Sorry, bear with me." She said, sliding her finger across the screen.

She had one new message in her email inbox, and as she opened it, she gasped.

"Oh my God!" She sank down on to the couch.

"Amy? What is it?" Penny asked.

"What's wrong?" Bernadette added.

Amy cleared her throat.

"_Dear Dr Fowler,_

_I am sure you have heard about the amazing job opportunity that we will be granting to one of our Neurobiologists. _

_The job is a five-month post at the Fitzpatrick Marine Biology Facility in Tampa Bay, FL. _

_The tasks that you will be required to do are comparisons between human and dolphin brain activity and thought pattern and analyse the data to come to a conclusion._

_We believe that you are our ideal candidate, Dr Fowler._

_Your research in neurobiology has been outstanding, and we would love to offer you this position._

_It begins on the 24__th__ April, and ends on the 24__th__ September when you will return to your job as normal._

_Please let me know if you are interested by next Monday, otherwise the position will be offered to someone else._

_Please consider this carefully._

_Sincerely,_

_Dr Brightman."_

Amy read.

Bernadette and Penny squealed excitedly.

"Oh my God Amy, that's amazing!" Penny grinned, hugging her best friend.

"This is the opportunity of a lifetime! Are you going to accept it?" Bernadette asked.

Amy took a breath. "I don't know...It's such a huge honour, but Sheldon and I are only just making real progress, like you said. What if I leave, and then I come back to him and he's gone back to his old self?"

"It's only five months." Penny answered.

"Yeah, we'll keep him in line." Bernie added.

"Hmm." Amy pursed her lips.

"You don't want to leave him do you?" Penny smiled.

Amy shook her head. "Not really. Oh Lord, what do I do?"

"Well you have almost two weeks to decide." Bernadette answered, sensibly. "You don't have to make a decision right away. Besides, we need to finish our Girl's Night!"

"You're right." Amy nodded, closing the email on her phone. "I don't have to decide right away. Maybe I can discuss it with Sheldon tomorrow. He'll know what to do."

..

**A/N: The Fitzpatrick Marine Biology Facility is fictional (to my knowledge). Thank you for reading and reviewing. Chapter 5 will be up soon! **


	5. Chapter 5

Amy awoke the next morning on an air mattress in Penny's living room.

Bernadette's tiny frame was on the couch, and Penny had pulled her mattress off her bed and set it in the room, so that she didn't unfairly have the bed to herself whilst her friends slept on the floor.

Amy sat up and put a hand to her head.

She had consumed more alcohol than she usually would, due to the confusion about Sheldon and the new job.

"Morning." Penny yawned and stretched.

"Good morning." Amy and Bernadette replied in unison.

"I'm going to make us some breakfast. Is bacon and eggs okay for everyone? I got some fresh yesterday at the store when I bought our snack food." Penny said, sauntering to the kitchen.

"Yes, thank you." Amy replied, blinking away the sleep from her eyes.

"Sounds great Penny, thanks." Bernadette added.

Within minutes, they were all sitting down to eat their breakfast.

"Sorry about over-cooking it a little." Penny apologised

"You hardly over-cooked it. Only a little, but it's still so good!" Amy smiled.

"So when are you going to tell Sheldon about the job offer?" Bernie asked, biting into a piece of bacon.

"I was thinking I'd get it out the way today. Do you mind if I shower and go talk to him or would that be rude?" Amy asked, feeling guilty.

"Not at all." Penny shook her head, "as long as you come back here afterwards to tell us how it went!"

Amy smiled, finishing her food and getting to her feet to wash up her plate. "Thanks, I will."

..

Almost an hour later, Amy stood outside her boyfriend's apartment.

She smoothed her skirt down and took a deep breath before knocking.

It was Leonard who answered the door.

"Hello Leonard, is Sheldon in?" Amy asked.

"Sure. Sheldon, it's for you." Leonard let Amy in, and Sheldon rose from his spot on the couch, where he was reading.

"Hello Amy." He smiled.

"Hi Sheldon. Look, I need to talk to you about something." Amy began.

Leonard took that as his cue to walk out of the room. "I'll be in my room if you need me." He said, closing his bedroom door behind him.

Amy took another breath and Sheldon looked expectantly at her. "Is something wrong? Are you breaking up with me?"

"No, I'm not…Do you remember that job opportunity I told you about?" Amy asked, seating herself on the couch.

"Of course I do. I have an eidetic memory." Sheldon replied, lowering himself next to her.

"Well, it was in fact true, and…Well, they offered me the post. It's for five months." She said, grinning.

Sheldon's expression changed, but Amy couldn't read it.

He blinked and a frown appeared.

"I see…" He nodded slowly.

"I was just wondering what your thoughts were on it. As my boyfriend, I thought I could ask you." Amy looked at him.

"Well…It's an amazing opportunity." Sheldon started.

Amy grinned. "So you mean you don't mind if I go?"

"Of course I mind!" Sheldon whined. "Amy, I don't want you to leave."

"It's only five months…"

"Regardless; we just started making progress in our relationship like you have wanted me to do for so long. I finally feel comfortable to try it slowly, and you spring this on me." His voice was high, and he had a panicked look on his face.

"Sheldon, I'll be coming back. I will come back to you, you know I will…And you know why."

"Surely if you really were romantically in love with someone, you wouldn't want to leave them! This causes me to question your feelings."

Amy felt the anger rise inside her. "Now just you stop right there, Sheldon Lee Cooper! The fact that I have been offered a once in a lifetime job opportunity does not mean that my feelings for you do not exist! You know me; I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it. Besides, you said in the restaurant the other night that I should go for it!"

"Yes, but I never thought you would get offered the place. I thought it was just gossip." Sheldon replied.

Amy glared at him and clenched her jaw.

"Well guess what? It isn't!"

"Amy, please…" Sheldon was begging now. "Please don't leave."

She blinked at him, feeling her heart being torn.

Sheldon rarely begged, and when he did, he meant it.

"Why don't you come with me?" She asked, changing tactics.

"But what about my work? Cal Tech needs me here…And not to mention how a five month trip to Florida would mess up my routine." Sheldon argued.

"So you're saying I can't go because you can't?" Amy shook her head.

"I never said that." Sheldon shook his head. "I asked you not to leave me…I want you here."

Amy sighed. "Sheldon, not everything is about you."

"I don't follow…"

Amy gritted her teeth. "I appreciate that you're trying really hard to make our relationship physical, but me going away for a few months to work won't change that,"

"What if you meet someone else, who can give you what I can't yet give you, right away?" Sheldon asked quietly.

"You think I would cheat on you?" Amy shook her head in disbelief. "You really think I would do something like that?!"

"No, I didn't say that either." Sheldon went high-pitched again. "Amy please…I know this is big for you but I'm scared."

"Why?"

"I don't want this progress in our relationship to be in vain. I want you here Amy. Please don't leave me…"

Amy softened. "I haven't made a decision yet, Sheldon."

Sheldon breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God. I thought you were really going to ruin everything by going."

Amy grew mad again. "Excuse me? What the hell does that mean?!"

"Well, I've accommodated you into my life and made so many changes for you, that I'd hate for it to be wasted…" Sheldon trailed off, seeing Amy's expression.

Then it dawned on him that he was not saying the right thing.

"Wasted?" Amy growled.

"Alright, no, not wasted…More like…" Sheldon stammered.

Amy cut him off. "You know what? I'm done with this. I thought I could handle it but I can't. You'll barely kiss me, or touch me, and I'm just an object to you aren't I? I love you Sheldon; I'm _in _love with you, but you don't love me back, and you can't even fathom the decency to let me do something my way for a change!" Amy yelled, feeling tears run down her cheeks. "This job means a lot to me, but that doesn't mean I'd just forget you and that we can't carry on where we left off when I get home!"

Sheldon stepped forward. "Please don't cry…" He put an arm out, but Amy swatted him away.

"Don't. Just…Please don't. The worst part about this is that you don't understand what you're doing or how you make me feel!" Amy turned on her heel and marched to the door.

"Amy, wait…" Sheldon called out.

She turned around, furiously wiping her tears away.

"Please…I'm begging you not to go. I…I…"

"You what, Sheldon?" Amy demanded.

Sheldon opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, and then swallowed hard.

"Amy I…"

But Amy was shaking her head and was out of the door before he could finish.

"…I love you." He muttered, staring at the now closed door.

He sank back into his spot on the couch, feeling shell-shocked as Leonard padded out into the living room.

"You okay buddy?" He asked quietly.

Sheldon shook his head, his eyes stinging.

"She's leaving me Leonard." He bowed his head down to stop his roommate from seeing him cry.

This was the first time he had really felt broken; no amount of Kohlinar could suppress this.

Leonard placed a hand on Sheldon's shoulder, which for once, he didn't swat away.

"I love her, Leonard and she's leaving me!" He broke down, covering his face.

He finally realised how Amy must have been feeling for so long.

This must be what regular people called heartbreak…


	6. Chapter 6

Amy staggered over to Penny's apartment, feeling dizzy.

She pushed the door open and walked in, her eyes blurring with tears.

Penny and Bernadette looked up as Amy entered.

"Oh my God, Amy! What happened?" Penny asked, as she and Bernadette leapt to their feet to comfort her.

Amy described what had happened and broke down, making Penny's pink shirt wet with tears as she cried on her shoulder.

Bernadette joined in the group hug, rubbing Amy's arm comfortingly.

"We're so sorry sweetie." Penny whispered. "I really thought you two would be able to do this."

"Me too." Amy sobbed, "But it's too hard. He doesn't love me, Penny. He can't even touch me properly or want me to be happy."

"He's been trying." Bernadette replied.

"I know," Amy nodded, wiping her eyes. "But he should have tried three years ago."

"You're right Amy." Penny agreed. "So what now?" She asked, handing Amy a glass of water to soothe her throat.

Amy took a sip, and then shrugged. "Now I am going to accept the position in Tampa and when I come back, I'll just hang out with you two."

"What about when we're with the guys?" Bernadette asked.

"Then I'll spend the evening alone." Amy replied, feeling the tears again.

"You shouldn't have to be alone Amy." Bernie replied. "Even if everyone else is with Sheldon, I'll come and see you."

"Me too." Penny nodded, firmly. "We're best friends. I may have known Sheldon longer but you're my _best _friend."

Amy smiled weakly. "Thank you. You two are the best."

Her friends smiled.

"Come on, you." Penny smiled, "E-mail your boss back, take the job and forget all about Sheldon Cooper!"

"Easier said than done." Amy swallowed.

"It will be at first; it's still raw…A fresh wound. Once you're in Florida, you'll be in a new place, and you'll be so busy that you will forget all about him." Bernadette replied, wisely.

"You're right." Amy nodded, as she whipped out her phone and opened up the email.

She took a deep breath and tapped out a reply.

_Dear Dr Brightman,_

_I would like to thank you for your email and for considering me for this post._

_It is with great pleasure that I accept this amazing opportunity._

_Thank you again Sir._

_Kind regards,_

_Dr Amy Farrah-Fowler._

She swallowed hard, her mind racing.

Closing her eyes, she clicked send.

..

"You what?" Leonard stared at his roommate, who was currently in tears.

"For goodness sake Leonard, do I really need to repeat myself?" Sheldon snapped.

"Sorry Sheldon, it's just…You've never said that you love anyone before. You don't believe in love…"

"Well, I stand corrected, apparently!"

"How do you know that you love her?" Leonard asked. "What does it feel like to you?"

Sheldon snorted. "What a ridiculous question."

"Which you still haven't answered…"

"Fine." Sheldon sniffed. "With Amy, it's like everything is better when she's around. She makes me happy; something that I was unaware that another human being could make you feel. I enjoy her company, I want to have a physical relationship with her; I really do. I am trying…Or _was _trying so hard. I didn't want her to leave in case…"

"In case what, Sheldon?" Leonard asked softly.

"In case I forgot how much progress I made and went back to square one. I wouldn't want to do that. It would make her unhappy."

Leonard stared at his friend and roommate, and for once was seeing a human side.

"Sheldon, you should have told her how you felt before all of this." He said, gently.

"Don't you think I know that now!?" Sheldon snapped. "But it's too late."

"It might not be…" Leonard replied. "Why don't you go over to Penny's now and try to talk to her?"

"Would that work?" Sheldon asked.

"It might." Leonard shrugged. "Tell her what you told me."

Sheldon's eyes flew wide. "I can't!" He protested, "I just can't!"

Leonard sighed. "I don't know what else to tell you Sheldon. Either you tell her how you feel, or you let her go."

Sheldon swallowed. "What would you do if it were Penny?"

"I'd tell her how I felt." Leonard replied, simply.

"But it's easier for you!" Sheldon shook his head. "You haven't spent your whole life not wanting to feel things, and bottling it all up to the point where you just stop feeling altogether…"

"It's up to you Sheldon." Leonard said at last. "Do what you have to do. But I'll be here for you."

"Thank you Leonard." Sheldon took a breath. "I should never have agreed to date Amy from the start." He shook his head sadly, "I left myself open to getting hurt. Maybe I should…Maybe I should let her go."

Leonard bit his lip. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah…Like that saying goes: 'If you love someone you'll let them go.' Or whatever it is." Sheldon sighed, feeling himself well up again.

"Okay buddy, if you're sure…"

"I'm sure." Sheldon interrupted, more to reassure himself than Leonard.

Leonard left Sheldon to be alone in the living room for a while.

Sheldon bowed his head and let the tears fall again.

"Stupid emotions!" He hissed. "There's a reason I never liked having you."

Who was he kidding?

He didn't want to let Amy go; he couldn't!

But he was afraid to tell her he loved her, too.

His head felt like someone had scribbled on a piece of paper, leaving a squiggly, jumbled –up mess.

He didn't like it; he didn't like it one bit.


	7. Chapter 7

The fortnight passed, and Amy had kept herself busy preparing for her trip.

She had spent time with the girls, too, but hadn't been quite the same around them.

Penny and Bernadette had the decency to not mention Sheldon when she was around, and he had never disturbed them.

Amy had still been suffering, and knew that she had become more reserved since breaking up with Sheldon.

Sheldon had been exactly the same; he was quiet all the time, much to the surprise of everyone else.

On his first day of almost total silence, Howard had quipped that it was peaceful not having to listen to Sheldon's rants.

Leonard and Raj just frowned at him, and Sheldon had bitten his lip and excused himself from the room, deserting his food.

His schedule was off, and his work wasn't up to scratch.

Sheldon felt awful.

Today was the day that Amy was due to fly to Florida to begin her five-month job post.

Her flight was in the evening, and she was all packed and ready, and had quadruple-checked that she had everything she needed.

Now she was over at Penny's apartment with Penny and Bernadette, saying goodbye.

"My mother is going to be checking in on my apartment and the bills will still be getting paid, but if you would like to keep an eye on it too, I've given you both a spare key." Amy smiled, handing the cut keys over to her friends.

"Thank you Amy. We'll take care of it, we promise." Penny nodded.

Amy looked down at the other two keys she held in her hand. One of them, which was on a keyring full of various other keys, belonged to Amy.

The other was a spare key, too.

"This one belonged to Sheldon." Amy said, softly. "He used it to get into my apartment when I was sick with the flu."

Her friends smiled sadly at her.

"I…I was thinking of giving it to him." Amy confessed.

"What!? Why? He's your ex-boyfriend!" Bernadette exclaimed.

"Yeah, never a good idea to give an ex-boyfriend your key…" Penny grimaced.

"Look, I don't care. This is Sheldon Cooper we're talking about. He wouldn't cause any damage to my home! I trust him with my life." Amy replied.

"But…"

"No. I'm going over there!" Amy decided.

"Then I'm coming with you, just in case he pulls any crap!" Penny said, following Amy across the hall and heading to the front to knock on the door.

It was Sheldon who answered.

"Hello Penny…Amy!" His eyes widened, hopefully. "What are you doing here?"

Amy cut in front of Penny. "Penny, I appreciate the help, but I will be fine on my own with Sheldon."

Penny eyed him and pursed her lips. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay…See you in a minute Amy. See you later Sheldon." Penny smiled gently, as she turned around and made her way back to her apartment.

Sheldon rubbed the back of his head. "You know she'll be listening at her door." He smiled weakly.

Amy nodded.

"Would you like to come in?" Sheldon asked.

"Sure." Amy said bravely, as she stepped into the apartment.

"Leonard is with Howard and Raj getting you a goodbye present…Oops…Forget you heard that." Sheldon winced.

Amy laughed. "It's okay…Penny and Bernadette already gave me one from them; a framed photo collage of all of us."

"Am I in it?" Sheldon swallowed.

"Um…Well when I say 'all of us', I meant just me and the girls." Amy replied, bashfully.

"Oh."

"But…I kind of have a goodbye present for you." Amy admitted.

Sheldon frowned, as Amy handed him her spare key.

"In case you want to go into my apartment and tidy, or check on it while I'm away." Amy explained.

"But…We're broken up." Sheldon replied, sadly.

"Not according to the Relationship Agreement." Amy replied, quietly.

"Oh…Uh, well I'll go and get it then." Sheldon swallowed, turning around.

"Actually…I was hoping that we could leave it unsigned." Amy piped up, making Sheldon turn to face her with a hopeful expression. "I was also hoping that when I return…We could try again; carry on where we left off. I've missed you so much and was stupid to walk away."

Sheldon stared at her. "I would like that Amy." He replied, "But that's five months away."

"I know." Amy looked at the floor. "I've been trying to forget you for the last two weeks, but I haven't been able to." She confessed.

"You and me both." Sheldon replied, "My work has suffered, my schedule has suffered, and my appetite too. I've been quiet and unhappy, and my thoughts consist only of you."

Amy stared at him in surprise. "Really?"

Sheldon nodded silently in reply.

"Amy, I still don't want you to leave." He said, softly, gazing down at the floor.

"I'm sorry, Sheldon. It's too late; you know I fly today." Amy replied, remorsefully.

Sheldon recalled the conversations that he and Leonard had had in the past two weeks.

_Tell her how you feel, otherwise she will move on and you'll be left feeling like this for a very long time._

Sheldon swallowed. "Amy, I…"

"We're back! Sheldon, do you want us to address the present from you as well? Oh…Amy!" Leonard looked shocked.

He, Howard and Raj had returned to the apartment, with Leonard holding a plastic bag.

"Are you two back together?" Leonard grinned.

"Well technically…We are giving it another shot when I get back." Amy replied.

"That's great! Uh…We got you a goodbye present, and we were going to come over and give it to you. We've missed you over the last two weeks." Leonard said, handing Amy the bag.

"I've missed you all too." Amy confessed. "I can still call and Facebook you."

"Even me?" Sheldon asked.

"Of course! You're my boyfriend; I'll Skype you so that it's at least a little more personal." Amy promised.

Sheldon nodded.

It would have to do until he could see her again…Five months from now.

"Open the bag Amy. Hope you like it." Howard urged, and Raj just smiled.

Amy opened the bag and peered inside.

She pulled out a cuddly toy monkey that looked almost exactly like Ricky, the monkey that she had looked after a couple of years previous. It was holding a little photo frame, containing a photo of the entire group at Halloween; Raj as 'Indian Jones', Howard and Bernadette as two Smurfs, Penny as a sexy cop, Leonard as Einstein, Amy as Raggety Ann, next to Sheldon as 'Raggety C3P0'.

Amy's eyes filled with tears.

"This is beautiful. Thank you." Amy smiled, hugging Leonard, Raj and Howard in turn.

She turned to Sheldon. "And thank you too, Sheldon."

Sheldon bit his lip, feeling his eyes sting.

Feeling an overwhelming surge of the emotion that he was now only too familiar with, he impulsively embraced Amy into a tight hug.

Amy hugged him back, just as tightly.

She breathed in the scent of talcum powder and a hint of men's deodorant, as he inhaled her apple-scented shampoo and fruity perfume.

They broke apart, both feeling torn.

Amy blinked back her tears.

"I'm going to go get my stuff from Penny's and then I have to leave for my flight." She said. "Thank you again for the beautiful present; I'll chat to you all soon."

She took Sheldon's hands and pressed something into one of them, whilst kissing him on the cheek.

"I'll Skype you when I get there." She promised, turning for the door. "See you in five months! Wow…I'll miss you."

She looked directly at Sheldon as she said this.

"I'll miss you too, Amy Farrah Fowler." He replied, as she closed the door for the final time.

..

Sheldon had been unable to move from the spot he was standing in when Amy had left.

He had heard her leave Penny's apartment tearfully as the girls said their goodbyes.

Minutes later, Penny and Bernadette had joined the guys in their apartment and were sitting sombrely around the coffee table.

"How long has he been standing there?" Penny whispered to Leonard.

"About an hour." Leonard replied.

"Seriously!?" Penny whispered back. She got to her feet and wandered over to Sheldon.

"Hey Sheldon." She said gently.

When he didn't reply, Penny carried on speaking. "Amy told me that you guys are technically back together now. That's great!"

"I won't see her for almost half a year. How is that great?" Sheldon asked, miserably.

"I know; I'm sorry, sweetie." Penny rubbed his arm, and instead of flinching, Sheldon just sighed.

"She will Skype you every day though." Penny added.

Sheldon nodded, and then suddenly felt the urge to open his hand.

He looked down at the piece of paper Amy had placed into his hand over an hour earlier, and read it.

His eyes widened.

_Sheldon, in case of emergency; contact Amy Farrah Fowler._

_I love you xxx_

And below that was the address of the hotel that she was staying at, including the name of the suite that the university had reserved for her during her stay.

He glanced up at his front door, deep in thought. This was what his mother would call a 'blessing'; a second chance.

He whirled around suddenly.

"Penny, will you drive me to the airport please? There's something I need to do."

..

**A/N: Not going to deny that I welled up a little writing this, and yes, I used a reference from The Tangible Affection Proof if anyone caught it! ;) Thank you to those who have reviewed. Further reviews would be appreciated ;) x**


	8. Chapter 8

Penny and Sheldon raced down to Penny's car.

"Do you have your passport?" Sheldon asked.

"Of course I do; I take it everywhere with me! I still get asked for ID in some bars." Penny frowned. "Why?"

"Just in case we miss her before she goes through security."

As they reached the bottom of the stairs and reached Penny's car outside, Sheldon sat in the passenger seat.

"Which airport does Amy's flight depart from?" Sheldon asked.

"LAX" Penny replied, "And her flight is going to Tampa Airport."

"I have her flight number on the piece of paper she gave me." Sheldon said as Penny started the engine and drove out onto the roads, heading for Los Angeles Airport as fast as the law allowed.

"Okay, well what is it?" She asked.

"DAL933."

"Okay and when does her plane take off?"

"I thought you would know!" Sheldon looked at Penny, alarmed.

"She just said 'around 9ish' so…Any time from then, I guess, but not an exact time." Penny replied.

"Oh Lord. We have two hours to get there and to find her." Sheldon complained.

"Sheldon, relax. We'll find her!"

"I wish I wasn't me sometimes." Sheldon sighed.

"What do you mean?" Penny asked.

"If I was like a normal man, I could…Well I could give her everything before she left to go on business. It's my fault she left." Sheldon hung his head.

Penny's expression softened and she gave him a quick, sympathetic glance. "Oh sweetie, this wasn't your fault. She would have taken the position anyway. She wanted it so badly."

"I know. I was stupid to try and stop her."

"Sheldon, Amy loves you. You and she are back together now, so it's not like she's going to run off with some other guy. Besides, she'll be too busy." Penny reasoned.

Sheldon nodded.

..

As they finally arrived at the airport, Penny parked in the parking lot and paid for her ticket as Sheldon waited impatiently.

They ran into the airport building and looked around for a screen.

"There!" Penny pointed out, and the two friends ran over to look at it.

"It just says 21:15 right now." Sheldon sighed. "At least she isn't boarding yet,"

"Well, let's go see if she's at a check-in desk yet." Penny suggested, as they searched the hall for the Delta Airlines desks.

They scanned every single one, until they found Amy's flight number taking up two desks.

Searching both lines, they tried to find Amy, but with no luck.

Sheldon suddenly caught sight of a woman with long brown hair and glasses. He jogged over.

"Amy?" He asked.

The woman smiled at him politely and shook her head. "Sorry ma'am." Sheldon muttered, and he turned back to scan the entire hall, his hands on his head.

Penny wandered over to him. "No sign?"

"Nothing." Sheldon answered, sadly. He closed his eyes and covered them with his hands.

"Sheldon Cooper, don't you dare give up!" Penny said to him; "Amy is here somewhere. She must have gone through security and is probably waiting in Departures. I didn't drive you all this way for nothing. And besides, the Sheldon Cooper I know isn't a quitter!"

Sheldon looked at her for a few moments, before he swallowed and slowly nodded.

"You're right…You're absolutely right." He turned on his heel and walked over to the main desk.

"Two tickets for the next flight to Tampa, Florida please." He asked.

The man behind the desk smiled at him as Penny approached and stood next to Sheldon.

"Romantic getaway?" He winked.

"What? With Penny? Lord no!" Sheldon snorted.

Penny dug her elbow into his rib. "Hey! I am helping you to find your girlfriend, and since you're now booking me on a flight to Florida, the least you can do is be polite about me."

"Sorry." Sheldon mumbled.

"That's $470 please, sir. Your flight will be with United Airlines and leaves at 22:00 hours." The man behind the desk said.

"Whoa! Sheldon, wait. That's almost $500, you can't afford that!" Penny protested.

"Yes I can. Do you remember all those unpaid cheques I had in my desk drawer?"

"Uh, yeah…?"

"I paid them in."

Penny's eyes widened in shock. "Oh…Wow, okay then."

Sheldon paid for the tickets and handed Penny hers, and they headed over to the United Airlines desks which just started displaying their flight number.

Within minutes, they had their boarding passes and were going through security.

As they made it through security with no issues, they scanned the Departures lounge.

"Oh God, Sheldon. She could be anywhere!" Penny breathed.

"I know." Sheldon sighed, seating himself on a chair.

Penny sat beside him silently.

At that moment, the loudspeakers chimed, and the announcement echoed through the airport.

"All passengers for flight DAL933, please go to gate 11. Flight DAL933 to gate 11."

Sheldon looked up.

"Come on!" Penny said, taking Sheldon's arm and pulling him up.

"What are you doing? That's not our flight." Sheldon protested, shaking her off.

"Yes, but it is Amy's."

"We're going to meet her at the hotel; there's almost no chance that we will catch her in time here." Sheldon replied.

"What!? We're actually getting on a flight?" Penny looked shocked.

"Yes."

"Sheldon! I may be carrying next to everything in my bag, but I don't have a toothbrush or overnight clothes, or clean underwear or anything!" Penny blurted. "And I bet you don't either!"

"Yes I do; I always have an emergency bag packed." Sheldon patted his satchel.

Now that he thought of it, Penny realised that it wasn't Sheldon's regular satchel.

She sighed. "This is a one-way ticket. How am I supposed to get home?"

"I'll pay for flights back." Sheldon promised, before lowering his voice. "I have over $50,000 that I cashed in from all those unpaid cheques. There were years and years of unpaid cheques in that drawer, and there's over still half left over."

Penny stared at him.

"Okay, well if we are going on this crazy red-eye mission, can I at least buy some overnight things while we're waiting to be called?"

"Fine." Sheldon sighed, getting to his feet.

..

Not long after, Sheldon and Penny's flight number was asked to go to gate 14 ready for boarding.

As they made their way through the airport, Penny looked at Sheldon.

"This is it." He was telling himself. "I'm getting on a…A _plane _of all things; a confined space that probably houses more germs than I care to imagine…All for a woman. A _woman, _Penny. What's happened to me?"

Penny smiled. "You're in love, Sheldon. Whether you care to admit it or not, that's what you are."

Sheldon bit his lip. "I know. I have already come to terms with that. I have admitted it to myself."

"Quick question; why exactly are we going after Amy again? Is it to bring her back?" Penny asked, frowning as they arrived at the gate and took a seat.

"No, but if she will hear me out, the choice to return home will be hers." Sheldon answered.

"Hear you out for what?"

"I have to tell her."

"Tell Amy _what_, Sheldon?" Penny was exasperated now.

"How I…_Feel."_ Sheldon blushed.

Penny stared at Sheldon, looking like she was about to cry. "You're actually going to tell her?"

"I know it's probably too late, but I can't keep the feelings inside any longer, Penny. It's causing emotions and feelings I was never even aware of. I will explode. Consider this as my human half needing to release its feelings."

"You got it, Spock." Penny grinned. "And by the way, this is the most romantic thing you've ever done, and that includes the speech at your two year anniversary – Yes, Amy told me. You're finally growing up, Sheldon! I'm proud of you."

Sheldon smiled and blushed, fiddling with his passport.

Just then, the seat numbers were being called out.

Consulting their boarding passes, the two friends took a deep breath.

"This is us." Sheldon said, as he led Penny to the kiosk and boarded the plane to Tampa.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: To answer someone's question (sorry I can't remember whose it was?), no you don't need a passport to travel interstate in the US. But that's probably Sheldon's only form of photo ID, seeing as he doesn't have a driver's licence. You need ID to travel wherever you fly, and of course Sheldon always packs for emergencies! ;) That's why I included it. Anyway…lol thank you for the reviews! The hotel name in this chapter is fictional, to my knowledge. So, here it is; the reunion!**

**..**

The flight had gone well, and Sheldon hadn't even had one panic attack on the plane.

His mind was purely focused on what he was going to say to Amy.

What would she say in reply?

What would he do or say if she was mad at him?

So many questions had formed in his mind, that the flight had passed quickly for him.

As they exited the airplane at Tampa airport in the early hours of the morning and passed through security, Sheldon looked at bus timetables.

"They have buses heading for the hotels." He commented, scanning the screens.

"Which one is Amy in?" Penny asked.

"The Ocean Spray Hotel." Sheldon replied, consulting the piece of paper.

Penny raised her eyebrows. "Wow! That's a fancy place; how will Amy afford it? Won't all her wages like pay for her room?"

"No; the university and the dolphin neurobiology research facility are funding her stay." Sheldon replied, as he navigated the bus they needed to take.

Settling down in her seat on the bus, Penny frowned as Sheldon took a large paper bag out of his satchel and placed it on his seat before sitting down.

As the journey to the hotel began, Sheldon took a breath.

"Penny…Thank you for coming with me. I'm sorry I practically forced you to take me in your car and then come with me." He said.

"You're my friend, Sheldon." Penny said, simply.

At that moment, her cell phone rang.

She forgot that she had switched it on again after the flight.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Penny, it's me." Said Leonard's voice on the other end. "Sheldon made you go to _Florida _with him?!"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot I text you. Sorry honey, I'll fly back tomorrow…Well, today." She replied.

"Okay, because I was really looking forward to cuddling up with you tonight." Leonard said.

"Aww, me too sweetie. I can't wait to cuddle up to you, too. And kiss you…I already miss you like crazy." Penny swooned.

"If you two are done here, may we talk about something else?" Sheldon sighed.

"Sorry, Dr _Pooper_." Penny rolled her eyes as Sheldon glared at her. "Just remember, I came on this stupid adventure with you; you should be more grateful."

"Is Sheldon being impossible again?" Leonard asked.

"Like you even have to ask." Penny replied. "I'll see you tonight anyway. My apartment."

"Okay. Tell Sheldon I said good luck, and I'll see you later. I love you."

"Love you too Leonard." Penny smiled as she ended the call.

The bus finally pulled up outside the hotel, and Sheldon swallowed hard.

"This is us, Sheldon." Penny said softly.

The two friends grabbed their belongings, making sure they had everything, before they thanked the driver and hopped off the bus, standing in front of the hotel doors.

"Are you ready?" Penny asked, looking to Sheldon.

Sheldon was staring at the hotel doors, momentarily frozen.

His eyes scanned the entire building, right from the entrance, and trailing up until they were looking at the top floor, where the largest suite was.

The suite that was housing his girlfriend for the next five months.

Sheldon nodded. "Ready." He squeaked, following Penny inside.

Penny insisted on booking a room so she could sleep that night, and Sheldon had to wait for her to pay before they made their way up to the 20th floor.

"There it is; the Mermaid Suite." Sheldon whispered. He walked over to the door, and took a deep breath, swallowing again.

"Wait! Sheldon, let me knock. She'll recognize your knock. I'll do it, then I'll wait round this corner next to the door." Penny whispered.

Sheldon nodded.

Penny knocked and then ducked around the corner.

"What if she's asleep?" Sheldon hissed to Penny.

The door opened and Sheldon looked up.

There stood Amy in the soft, fluffy hotel robe.

Her eyes widened.

"Sheldon! What are you doing here? In Florida?" She gasped.

Sheldon couldn't speak as he stared at Amy.

Although he had seen her earlier that day, he hadn't seen her properly in two weeks, and now it was like he had been waiting a lifetime.

"Amy!" He sighed with relief, and without thinking, he wrapped her up in a tight hug.

Shocked but ecstatic, Amy hugged him back.

Penny smiled at them and decided it was best to leave.

She slipped off to her hotel room, leaving Amy and Sheldon happily reconciling.

..

Amy pulled back from the hug and looked up to her boyfriend.

"You flew all this way after me?" She asked.

"Yes. Penny came with me." Sheldon nodded. "But it was my idea to come here. I had to see you…To tell you…"

"To tell me what?" Amy asked.

"…That I love you Amy Farrah Fowler."

Amy stared at him and felt herself begin to choke up. "But you think that love is hokum."

"I did. But your presence is something that I have found myself unable to live without, and I want to change myself to be the boyfriend you deserve. I feel myself wanting to be with you, wanting to touch you and kiss you…And…Further." Sheldon confessed.

Amy now had tears running down her cheeks as she grabbed her boyfriend into a hug again.

"I just couldn't let you go." Sheldon shook his head.

"So you caught a flight and followed me to Florida to tell me that you loved me? That's the most romantic thing you've ever done for me." Amy wept, placing a hand on her chest.

"Not quite." Sheldon bit his lip.

Amy frowned, until Sheldon leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips, placing his hands on Amy's waist.

Amy dragged him into her suite and closed the door behind them, still locked at the lips.

Sheldon couldn't believe that he had put this kissing business off for so long!

His thoughts weren't consumed with fears of germs or saliva exchange; instead, all he could think of was how relieved he was that he had found Amy and had finally told her everything he had been too afraid to tell her from the beginning.

And finally; he had hit first base!

Amy sat down on the bed and pulled Sheldon down beside her, finally breaking the kiss.

"Wow." He squeaked, "I had no idea that I would ever feel this sort of…heat with you."

"Heat?" Amy asked in reply, and when Sheldon nodded, she leaned in again. "You haven't felt anything yet, Dr Cooper!"


	10. Chapter 10

Amy had realised in the last few minutes, that Sheldon Cooper was in fact a _very _good kisser.

He was currently running his tongue gently along hers, causing her to shiver.

He had just admitted that he had no idea that he would feel this heat with Amy, and she had replied with: "You haven't felt anything yet, Dr Cooper." As she dragged him down onto the bed with her.

Amy was running a hand through his short hair, whilst her free hand was unzipping his windbreaker.

Sheldon didn't seem to mind, until she tried to lift his shirts off over his head.

"What are you doing?" He asked, breaking away.

"Well…We were…You came all the way after me to tell me you love me, you started making out with me, and I just thought…"

"That we would have sex?" He asked.

"Or at least third base." Amy shrugged.

"I'm unfamiliar with the bases…" Sheldon replied, awkwardly.

"Okay…Well, we've covered first base." Amy answered. "Second base is touching above the waist…You know…A woman's chest area."

Sheldon nodded, understanding.

"Third base is um…performing either oral sex or touching each other in those regions, and home run is…Well, sex." Amy finished, awkwardly clearing her throat.

Sheldon was looking down at the bedspread, nodding and clearly considering.

"Hmm" He responded, "Baseball terminology; okay. So, ideally where would you like us to be?"

"Most people would have hit a home run within the first few months of their relationship." Amy replied. "Or weeks, in some cases. But…Maybe we could try second?"

Sheldon swallowed. "Uh…Okay. _Then _will you come home with me?"

Amy frowned at him. "Sheldon, I can't; the post here is for five months. I can't very well back out now. Besides, I want to do this."

Her boyfriend nodded. "I suppose. I just never wanted you to leave. I thought you were doing it to punish me." He said, quietly.

"Why on earth would I want to punish you?" Amy looked taken aback.

"Because I'm the worst boyfriend in the world." Sheldon answered, fiddling with his hands. "I've treated you so badly."

Amy bit her lip.

It was true for the most part, but only because he wasn't used to having a girlfriend, or having any kind of experience in social situations because of his way of thinking.

But now he was more than making up for it!

Amy took his hand. "Now that I know how you feel about me, I don't want to wait another five months to see you, though."

Sheldon swallowed hard. "Well maybe…Maybe I could home-commute and…and stay here with you?" He looked up hopefully.

Amy stared at him. "I thought you didn't want to?"

"Well, I changed my mind."

"I'd love that, Sheldon. Well, you'd need to pay for a room."

"Can't I stay in this one with you?" Sheldon asked.

Amy blinked. "Um…It only has one bed."

"It's a kingsize though." Sheldon observed.

"I thought you hated sharing a room, let alone a bed?" Amy stammered.

"This is different. But I'm sensing that you don't want me to stay?" Sheldon said, sadly.

"No! No, I want you to. I just didn't think _you _would want to!" Amy replied.

"Well, I do. As long as you don't try to rush me into any funny business." Sheldon said.

"You have my word." Amy nodded.

"So…You'll let me have coitus with you in my own time?"

Amy's heart thumped loudly in her chest and her mouth became dry.

Sheldon _wanted _to sleep with her?!

"Uh…I…Yes, of course." She stammered in reply.

Sheldon nodded and gave her a small smile, before surprising her and himself by lunging in to kiss her again, making them both fall to the bed with a force.

He rolled Amy on top of him, feeling too apprehensive to try anything himself in case he got it wrong.

He didn't even mind when Amy began to grind on top of him.

Within seconds, he felt something tighten in his pants and panicked.

He rolled Amy off, panting, eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked.

"Nothing."

"Sheldon…Are you experiencing sexual arousal?"

"Nope." He lied, laying on his front to conceal the increasing evidence.

"Really? Because your pupils are dilated." Amy responded.

"Curses." Sheldon muttered under his breath. "That's the lighting in this room."

"You are a terrible, terrible liar, Sheldon Cooper." Amy shook her head. "I can see the bulge in your pants from here."

"Amy! Stop looking!" He pouted, grabbing a pillow and covering himself from the side so that his girlfriend couldn't see.

She rolled her eyes. "It's nothing to be ashamed of." She said gently, "All men get… _them_."

"I know that." Sheldon replied, "I just never thought I would get one in front of you."

Amy frowned. "Are you saying that you get them when you're _not _around me?"

Sheldon just stared at her, not daring to speak. "Amy could you look away please?" He mumbled at last.

She sighed. "If we are going to make progress in this relationship, I have to see it sometime, Sheldon."

He stared at her wordlessly again for a moment, before sighing. "Fine; I guess you're right."

He rolled over on to his side, facing Amy but looking away awkwardly.

"You need to be more turned on." Amy decided.

"No! Amy, no…Remember I asked you not to force me into sex?" Sheldon panicked.

"I'm not. I'm asking to see you…All of you." Amy answered. "And then you can see all of me and decide from there."

Sheldon swallowed hard. "I've already seen all of you." He squeaked.

"Yes, but I was sick with flu and you were bathing me. That's hardly a turn-on." Amy replied.

"Um…"

"_Was it!?" _Amy spluttered.

"Um…"

"Sheldon, did you have…thoughts about me that night?" She asked.

"If I tell you the truth will you please stop asking me?" He sighed.

Amy nodded.

"Okay, fine. Yes, I thought about you. I think about you a lot; and yes, sometimes sexually, but _nobody _can know about this!" He pleaded.

"I promise. So when you say you think of me sexually…How and…And w_here?_" Amy asked, still shocked.

Sheldon sighed.

Clearly he wasn't going to get out of this one. "The shower, at work, in bed…Most of the time in my dreams." He admitted, looking down at his hands.

"Hoo!" Amy breathed.

"You." Sheldon frowned.

"What?"

"You said 'who?'"

"No…I said 'hoo', as in 'wow!'" Amy corrected. "Like…wow, that's hot."

"Oh. My apologies."

The two of them sat in a momentary awkward silence.

Amy looked down, and saw that Sheldon's 'problem' had grown.

She eyed it appreciatively, until Sheldon caught her.

"What are you doing?"

"I was just, um…Trying to see how big you are." She replied, blushing.

He swallowed and closed his eyes.

"I may as well get this over with." He sighed, pulling off his trousers and placing them at the end of the bed.

Amy marvelled at how large he was.

"Wow!" She squeaked.

"Is it not to your expectations?" Sheldon asked.

"Oh…It goes _beyond _my expectations." Amy replied. "Can we try something?"

"Amy…I'm not ready to do that yet." Sheldon protested.

"No, not sex…Dry sex." She corrected.

"Is that like sex but with a condom?" Sheldon asked.

Amy gave him a weird look. "Oh wow." She muttered, "No, Sheldon. It means we would still be clothed, or at least in our underwear and we would…Well, rub against each other."

Sheldon widened his eyes. "Oh…Well…"

"Can we at least try?"

"Very well, although I've already disturbed your REM cycle enough…"

"I don't start the new job until Monday." Amy replied, "We have the whole weekend to practise."

Sheldon swallowed. "Okay, Amy. I promised you I would try harder to be physical with you, and I keep putting it off. You know what? Let's just…Let's just try it."

Amy smiled. "Thank you Sheldon. Although there's no pressure, it's just that I have to have you!"

"And is that valid in these circumstances?"

"You bet!" Amy replied, grabbing his face and kissing him, as they fell onto the bed again.

..

**A/N: So, I know this chapter was a little racy, but there will be no smut. If anything happens, it won't take place in the chapters…Unless you want it to? Then I might have to change the rating, but we are coming up to the end in a chapter or two! Thanks for reading :) **


	11. Chapter 11

"Well…That was fascinating." Sheldon breathed, as Amy grabbed some tissues to clean up the mess.

Sheldon put on a fresh pair of underpants and grimaced.

"So…Will actual coitus be better than that?" He asked.

"Well, I'm still a virgin too, so I wouldn't know, but my guess would be yes." Amy replied.

Sheldon nodded.

"Well, dry sex was very good." He said. "Provided that we can get any mess cleaned up after we engage in coitus, I think I could maybe…" He took a deep breath, "I think that we could try."

Amy stared at him in shock, as she discarded the tissues and washed her hands.

"Is that the post-dry-coital comedown talking, or do you really mean that?" She asked, quietly.

"I really mean it." He replied, swallowing hard. "But not right now…I don't think I can perform again for a while, if the articles on the internet are telling the truth."

Amy continued to stare at him in shock. Taken over by both love and passion, she lunged in to kiss him.

"Thank you Sheldon. Please don't feel like I'm pressuring you." She said after breaking away.

"I don't." He replied softly. "I should have done this a long time ago."

Amy smiled.

"Would it be considered rude to ask about my performance?" Sheldon asked.

"Not at all. You were…Well, you learn fast, that's for sure!" Amy grinned. "I think the evidence spoke for itself."

Sheldon cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ahem…Yes, well…Does that mean that I will be good at the actual coitus too?"

"Oh I should think so!" Amy nodded vigorously.

"Interesting…" Sheldon frowned. "So, the fact that I released was a good thing, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then your performance was astounding."

Amy raised her eyebrows. "Really?" She asked, before taking a sip of her bottled water.

"Yes. I never thought I would enjoy something so sexual and touchy-feely so much, but surprisingly I did." Sheldon clarified. "I guess that means I'm ready."

Amy projectile-sprayed her drink out in shock and coughed a little.

Sheldon stared at her, before proceeding to pat her on the back.

"Sorry." Amy croaked. "When you say 'ready'…What exactly do you mean?"

"I thought it would have been obvious what I meant after what we just did." Sheldon replied.

"You mean…You want to sleep with me?" Amy asked.

"I will be sharing a bed with you for five months, so I'll already be sleeping with you. I meant intercourse." Sheldon said, holding Amy's gaze steadily.

"Hoo." She squeaked. "Wow…You're full of surprises tonight."

"If you'd rather wait, I'm happy to do that."

"No! No, I've waited three years for this, Sheldon. I'm ready when you are."

Sheldon gave a small, satisfied smile. "Alright then." He checked his watch. "It's very early morning. We should really get some sleep. May I use your bathroom to get ready?"

"Of course." Amy gestured to one of the doors.

Sheldon picked up his bag and took it into the door, passing a small kitchen as he went.

"Oh, you have a fully-equipped kitchen!" He commented.

"Yes, but it needs stocking up with food. So I'll be having room service delivered later this morning until I get some food in." Amy replied.

"We could go to the stores together later in the day with Penny before she flies home." Sheldon suggested. "That will also give us a chance to stock up on necessities. Will you inform the hotel staff that I am staying with you, or shall I?"

"I'll tell them tomorrow. They did say that neither the university nor I would be charged for an extra guest, should one come to stay with me." Amy replied.

"How considerate." Sheldon said.

"Hey! Hang on Sheldon, what did you mean by 'necessities'?" Amy called out.

"You know…Extra clothes, underwear, everyday household items such as washing up liquid, toothpaste, soap…Oh and condoms." He said, before shutting himself in the bathroom.

Amy blinked.

_This was really going to happen!_

She grinned to herself and snuggled down into the covers.

Minutes later, Sheldon re-joined her and slipped into the other side of the bed.

"Plenty of room between us." He said.

Amy's face fell a little.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that!" Sheldon protested, seeing her expression. "I meant in case we move around in our sleep."

"Okay, good. You worried me for a minute there." Amy laughed nervously.

"Well, goodnight." Sheldon smiled to her.

Amy held his gaze, expectantly.

"What?" He asked.

"Don't I get a goodnight kiss?" Amy requested.

"Oh. Of course!" Sheldon leaned over to kiss her gently on the lips. "Goodnight Amy."

"Goodnight Sheldon…And um…Thank you for coming all this way to tell me that you love me, and for everything that's happened tonight." Amy said, softly.

"You're welcome. I'm glad I didn't just let you go." He replied, before snuggling down into the pillows and closing his eyes.

Amy smiled at him. "So am I."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: That whole 'no smut' thing…Meh I lied. I can't help myself… Sorry! xD**

**..**

The next morning, Sheldon and Amy woke up and took it in turns to get ready for breakfast in the hotel restaurant.

As they descended in the elevator, it stopped on floor 17.

Amy and Sheldon looked up to see Penny joining them.

"Oh, hi guys! I'm guessing that the reunion went well then?" She greeted.

"Very well, thank you. Oh and Penny? Thank you again for coming with me." Sheldon replied.

"You're welcome, Sheldon. But I'm flying home tonight to see my own boyfriend!" She grinned, "So are you coming or staying?"

Sheldon and Amy exchanged a glance. "He's staying." Amy smiled.

"That's great! So I'll see you again in about a week or two then, Sheldon?" Penny asked.

Sheldon bit his lip. "Actually…I'm staying with Amy for the duration of her post here."

"What?! But…Sheldon, what about work?"

"I already emailed Siebert's personal email. He replied pretty quickly, insisting that home-commute for five months was actually fine and he will see me again when I return, promising that my office will remain untouched. Now that I think of it, he seemed a little _too _enthusiastic…" Sheldon frowned.

"But on the plus side, this means that we can continue to move forward in our relationship." Amy grinned.

"So you guys really are back together for good?" Penny enquired.

"We are." Sheldon clarified.

"Aww. The Shamy are back together!" Penny cried as the elevator arrived at the ground floor and let them out.

Sheldon rolled his eyes, and followed Amy and Penny to the restaurant.

..

"So, we have today and Sunday. Penny is going down to the pool, so what do you want to do?" Amy asked as she and Sheldon returned to their room after breakfast.

"We could go sight-seeing. Or to the store like we agreed upon." Sheldon replied.

"Or…we could stay here and try to hit all the bases." Amy purred, seating herself on Sheldon's lap and kissing him.

Sheldon took an erratic and aroused breath. "Do you remember the main reason we needed to go to the store in the first place?" He gulped.

"To get food." Amy responded.

"No; to get protection."

"So, you actually want to do this?"

"At some point." Sheldon admitted, his nerves getting the better of him. "I refuse to even think about it before we get some condoms though."

"Do you remember when I slipped off to the ladies' room in the restaurant earlier?" Amy quizzed.

"Of course I remember." Sheldon replied, frowning a little.

"Well, let's just say I didn't leave empty-handed…" She reached into her purse and took out two fresh, wrapped condoms.

Sheldon swallowed hard.

"Okay." He squeaked.

Amy leaned in to kiss him again, pressing her chest against his.

"We've established that this is first base…" She said, between kisses, as she removed her cardigan and blouse. "Now how about second base?"

Sheldon froze slightly.

"It's not hard, I promise. You might even like it." Amy whispered, as she began to grind against Sheldon.

He felt his arousal rapidly growing, and panicked.

"Amy, stop."

"It's okay…We did it dry yesterday." She whispered in reply. "Just try not to think about it…Well, you can think about it, but positively." She returned to kissing him.

Sheldon took a deep breath and shakily let his hand move up to his girlfriend's chest.

His hand hovered for a moment, before he gently placed it on target.

Amy moaned softly against Sheldon's mouth and moved her lips to his neck, kissing him and nipping his neck playfully.

Sheldon didn't want to admit how much this was arousing him, and it wasn't until Amy ran her hand against his crotch that he let out a light moan and leaned back, falling onto the bed, bringing Amy down with him, his hand still clutching her breast, fondling it playfully.

"You're a fast learner." Amy commented as she sat up.

"Well, I would argue that it is in fact my baser urges taking over, but I can't honestly tell you that I am complaining at this moment in time." Sheldon replied, "And likewise! Where did you learn these techniques?"

"I read about them in my romantic novels and in magazines." Amy confessed. "I'm just putting them to practise now. Now then, we've hit second base…Next is third."

Sheldon's eyes widened. "Oh no…I couldn't possibly…"

"Well then allow me to test the waters, and you jump on in whenever you feel ready." Amy replied in a husky tone, letting herself up and all but tearing Sheldon's pants and underwear down.

He self-consciously threw his hands down to conceal his growing manhood. "Amy!" He spluttered. "You can't see me naked!"

"How do you think this will work?" She frowned.

Sheldon reluctantly took his hands away and looked away from Amy, feeling embarrassed.

He felt Amy's hand grasp him and start pumping up and down.

He was genuinely shocked at how good it felt, and against his will, he moved his hips in time with Amy's hand.

Sheldon grabbed a pillow and half-covered his face, biting down on the pillow and letting out a moan.

Amy smiled to herself; she had got it right first time!

She lay down beside him on the bed and carried on pumping.

Sheldon noticed her there. "Do you want me to jump into the metaphorical 'waters' yet?" He gasped.

"If you're ready." Amy replied. "No pressure."

Sheldon moved his hand down Amy's body and pulled her panties down.

"What exactly do I do?" He asked.

"Use one or two fingers and just…Rub." Amy instructed, guiding his hand down.

Sheldon obliged, timidly at first.

As Amy's breathing quickened, and a moan emitted from her lips, which reassured Sheldon that he was doing the right thing.

He continued, feeling his nerves lessen, until he felt a wetness and pulled his hand away.

"Sheldon, that's a good thing, keep going!" Amy breathed, teasing the tip of her boyfriend's penis.

He bit his lip, moaning again. "Would coitus be more sanitary?" He asked at last.

Amy's eyes flew wide. "Well…In some ways, yes." She replied. "Why?"

He took a deep breath. "I…I think I'm ready."

Amy blinked and stared at him.

"Please remind me why this took us three years." She said, reaching for the condoms in her purse and taking one out of the foil.

"Allow me to do that." Sheldon said, ignoring her question. "If we are going to be doing this regularly, I'll need to learn."

He took the rubber from Amy and rolled it on.

"Now what do I do?"

"Come on Sheldon, even the less intelligent people can figure it out." Amy responded, parting her legs.

Sheldon leaned over her and took a deep breath.

"I can't believe that I am about to do this." He muttered, nervously.

"I can't believe it took three years, and me moving to Florida for five months and having you follow me here. But, we're here, and it's happening." Amy replied. "Come on Dr Cooper, mama's ovaries are about to explode!"

Sheldon frowned at her. "You should really see a gynaecologist about that before we go any further."

"I wasn't being literal." Amy replied, pulling her boyfriend down into a passionate kiss.

Taken over by the passion, Sheldon timidly and gently pushed himself in.

"Ow." Amy grimaced, as she was met with an alarmed look from Sheldon.

"Is it meant to hurt?" He asked.

Amy nodded. "Yes. The first time always does."

"I'm sorry..." Sheldon bit his lip. He waited for a moment, letting Amy overcome the pain before continuing slowly. "Now what do I do?"

"Now, you follow my lead." Amy breathed, rolling her hips up against Sheldon's.

As he felt her consume his length, he let out an erratic breath, propping himself up on his hands and moved his body in time with Amy's.

Amy was kissing his neck again, and Sheldon took that as a hint to do the same to her.

He moved his head to the side and kissed her neck, giving the skin a playful nip before sucking on it.

He felt Amy release, crying out as she did, and he followed shortly after, feeling relieved and shocked at himself.

As he withdrew, he noticed the liquid in the end of the condom.

"Oh God. Amy…Amy, what…what do I do with this?" He asked, feeling panicked.

"Go into the bathroom, take it off and fill it with water then flush it." Amy replied, "That's what Penny always said anyway."

"Oh, well she's the expert." Sheldon nodded, getting to his feet and covering himself as he ran to the bathroom.

Amy flopped back onto the pillows, pushing the stray hairs out of her face and panting heavily.

She couldn't believe it; it almost felt unreal.

_Sheldon just had sex with me!_

She looked at the clock.

Ten minutes; well, that wasn't so bad really, considering it was the first time for both of them, so they were bound to be sensitive.

She got up and changed her clothes, and gathered some tissue to mop up the mess.

Sheldon returned moments later, and found Amy sat on the couch, facing out of her balcony doors.

He joined her.

"Was that okay for you? I'm sorry I didn't last very long, and that I left the room so abruptly, but I can work on those over time." He said, softly.

"Oh it was more than okay. That was amazing…It was everything I dreamed it would be." Amy sighed. "I am so glad I didn't leave you behind."

"Me too." Sheldon nodded. "I'm glad I came after you…" He winced at the unintended pun, and bit his lip as he heard Amy snigger. "You caught that then?"

Amy just laughed and nodded.

Sheldon shook his head, holding back laughter.

"Well…Thank you Sheldon. This was a huge step for you to take!" Amy said, looking up at her boyfriend. "I just wish it had been sooner."

"You and me both." He admitted. "I don't understand why I was ever so afraid of having intercourse with you. It's remarkable!"

"So, no more holding back?" Amy asked.

"No more holding back."

Amy kissed him gratefully. "We have the whole weekend to perfect that before I start work, but I think we really do need to go shopping first." She said.

"Agreed." Sheldon nodded, standing up to grab his messenger bag, and wobbling slightly.

"I feel like I have bad sea legs." He grimaced. "I need to get used to that."

Amy stood up and almost immediately stumbled. "You and me both." She giggled as Sheldon held her up.


	13. Chapter 13

Sheldon and Amy ended up meeting Penny down by the pool, agreeing that they would go to the store later when Penny had left.

"I might stay for the whole week!" Penny grinned, as they approached the sun loungers. "This is amazing!"

Amy flopped beside her in her swimsuit and sarong covering her stomach.

"Then why don't you?" She asked.

"Uh Amy…Aren't you forgetting that we have that thing…?" Sheldon piped up.

"What thing?"

"You know…The thing that we agreed upon."

Amy frowned and Penny just groaned. "Relax; I won't get under your feet if you two decide to get all mushy!"

"There will be no 'mushy' in public." Sheldon replied, and then almost instantly regretted opening his mouth.

"Wait a minute…You mean to say that you guys got all romantic and kissy-face in Amy's room?" Penny asked, wide-eyed.

"What goes on in the hotel room, stays in the hotel room." Sheldon answered firmly.

"Hmm." Penny smirked, "Well, usually that would mean that you guys had sex, but this is _you_ we're talking about, so I'm guessing you guys made up, kissed a little then did some weird experiment thing."

"Well, there _was_ some experimenting…"

Penny blinked and pulled her sunglasses off of her eyes, staring at Sheldon. "What!?"

"We uh…We decided to sleep in the same bed." Amy intervened, rescuing Sheldon from the awkward conversation. "And we decided that we liked each other's company whilst sleeping, so we have made it a regular thing."

Penny exhaled. "Oh. For a minute there, I thought you guys really _had _had sex! You got me all excited."

Amy shrugged apologetically. "Sorry."

Penny made a face. "Ah, never mind. So, are you guys joining me in the pool?" She asked as she got up and tied her hair back.

"I am. Sheldon, are you joining us?" Amy rose to her feet, untying the sarong.

"And swim in other people's skin flakes and God knows what else? No thank you." He grimaced.

"Whatever! Come on Amy." Penny giggled, diving into the deep end.

Amy leaned down to kiss Sheldon and was about to walk away, when he grabbed her hand.

"Wait!...Thank you for not telling Penny." He said, quietly.

Amy smiled. "Whenever you're ready." She answered simply, turning around and jumping into the pool after her best friend.

..

Penny did in fact decide to extend her stay in the hotel for ten days, much to Leonard's disapproval.

Penny reminded him that they could Skype every morning and night if she used her iPhone.

That meant that every night after dinner, Penny would return to her hotel room to have Skype-sex with him, leaving Amy and Sheldon to their own devices.

But later that day, as Penny went on ahead to the stores she wanted to look in, Amy and Sheldon wandered down the sidewalk in search of a supermarket.

They walked into a Publix store and began to fill the cart with various items of food and necessities.

Sheldon noticed Amy pick up some glossy magazines and toss them into the cart.

"Really Amy?" He asked, picking up a women's gossip magazine which had in bold, bright print: _'How to give your man the big O'. _On the front cover. "I'm assuming 'the big O' is a slang term for orgasm?"

"I need all the help I can get." Amy defended. "It's magazine articles like this that helped me know what to do last night! And yes, it is."

Sheldon opened the magazine and skimmed his eyes over the page. "Good Lord!" He exclaimed, grimacing at the picture of the couple in a very acrobatic position. "I'm fine with having coitus, but do we really have to act like animals whilst engaging in it?"

"I think you'd like it once you gave it a try." Amy answered, taking the magazine off her boyfriend and putting it back into the cart. "I reckon you'd be a regular horndog once we hit our stride and get used to it!"

"Assuming your hypothesis is correct, is number 14 really necessary?" Sheldon asked.

"No, of course not. That's only for those who are _really _adventurous. We have _some_ dignity!" Amy replied.

They found their way to the toiletries aisle and stocked up on toothpaste, extra toothbrushes, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and soap.

Sheldon gingerly approached the condoms as Amy stocked up on her feminine hygiene products.

He picked up a box and read it, frowning. He was about to toss it into the cart, when Amy stopped him.

"Those won't be big enough." She whispered.

"What do you mean?" Sheldon asked.

"The ones I got in the machine yesterday were X-large, Sheldon."

"Really?!"

Amy nodded and picked up a box of the XL size.

"Now hang on, you need to read the small print. We want these to be durable." Sheldon protested.

"They're fine!" Amy answered.

"Double-check; I don't want to risk impregnating you."

Amy checked the packet. "They're thick and strong. Can we just get these, and move from this aisle now?"

"Hold on, we need to compare all of the extra large sizes, and figure out how many we need to get. I'm assuming that our coital sessions won't be scheduled, so you never know how many we will need!" Sheldon argued, as he picked up two more brands.

"Let's just get them all!" Amy said, knocking the boxes out of Sheldon's hands and into the shopping cart, scooting away from that area as fast as she could.

"I'm sensing that you're uncomfortable purchasing these. Would you prefer if we didn't buy them and just go without sex?" Sheldon asked, catching up with her.

"No! No way…Oh God, I'm sorry Sheldon. It's my first time buying these, and I'm so nervous. I feel like a teenager and I don't want the other shoppers to judge us." Amy replied.

"Amy, since when has another person's opinion of you ever mattered to you?"

"Always! Ever since elementary school, to be exact."

"Nobody will judge you for buying condoms. If they do, then they clearly are lacking in the coitus department and, as Penny would say; 'aren't getting any.'" Sheldon shrugged.

Amy grinned.

He had a point.

"That's very true." Amy breathed, composing herself again. "Now, let's get a few more snacks and drinks then we can go pay." She said, as they walked down one aisle, and she picked up a few items and placed them in the cart.

Sheldon peered in and frowned. "Why would we need chocolate sauce? We don't have any ice cream, and we passed the ice cream aisle already."

Amy just gave Sheldon a knowing look, hoping that he would catch on.

It took him a while.

"Oh!" He blinked. "That's very unsanitary!"

Amy smiled. "One could say that it's…dirty."

Sheldon pursed his lips. "One could," he nodded, "Although I suspect that we both have different views on the word 'dirty'."

Amy just chuckled to herself. "Not for long." She muttered.

..

**N/A: No marriage in this story ;) **


	14. Chapter 14

That night, the three friends all returned to their hotel rooms after eating out.

Penny returned to her room to Skype with Leonard, and Sheldon and Amy returned to their suite together.

As the two of them unpacked their groceries, Sheldon took out the three packets of condoms and examined them closely.

He frowned at one box.

"What purpose do those serve?"

Amy peered over Sheldon's arm at the diagram on the back of the box.

"What?" She asked.

"The dots and the tingly lubricant." Sheldon answered, "I know what lubricant is used for, but why does it have to be tingly?"

"Those are for the woman!" Amy replied.

"Then why am I the one who needs to be wearing it?"

Amy rolled her eyes. "No, the actual condom is meant for you; the lube and dots are for the woman's pleasure. Just an extra stimulator."

"Why would you need extra? Is my coitus not stimulating enough for you?" Sheldon asked.

"Of course it is!" Amy reassured, "It just spices things up a little."

"Is this information also taken from those magazines you read?"

"Yes, and from being coached by Penny just in case we ever did have sex."

Sheldon looked at Amy. "We a_re _having sex now."

"I know!" Amy grinned. "Which reminds me, Dr Cooper…I only have tonight and tomorrow with you before I start my job."

"Your point?" Sheldon frowned.

"My point being that I only have tonight and tomorrow to give you my undivided attention." Amy purred. "You know…Sexually!"

"Oh!" Sheldon caught on at last, "Well, that gives me enough time to improve prolonging orgasm and make the experience longer and more enjoyable for you."

Amy looked impressed. "More enjoyable for me?"

"Yes… You're my girlfriend and with my Southern upbringing, I was taught to respect women and was also taught the 'ladies first' rule." Sheldon replied.

"Hmm…" Amy smiled. "Now say that again but make it sexier."

"We're talking about intercourse; how much 'sexier' could it get?"

"To the point where you get all possessive of me and commandeering the entire endeavour." Amy looked at him expectantly.

"I wouldn't want to bully you." Sheldon frowned.

"You wouldn't be bullying me," Amy replied, "I'd like it."

"Oh…Alright. I don't know Amy; I'm not so good at this whole dirty talk thing. That's more Howard's forte." Sheldon blushed.

"We can leave the dirty talk until we're both a little more experienced." Amy promised.

"Okay," Sheldon let out a sigh of relief, "So…What _can_ I say or do that would prepare you for what we are about to do?"

Amy mock-shrugged. "You could tell me how you feel about me." She cast a teasing look at her boyfriend.

"You already know how I feel. The way that I feel about you is the reason I came here in the first place."

Amy rolled her eyes. "It wouldn't hurt to tell me more often."

"Is that what you girls like?"

"Um…Yeah!"

"Very well…I love you Amy."

"I will _never _get tired of hearing that!" She grinned in reply, throwing her arms around him. "I love you too."

Sheldon cuddled her back for a moment, before letting go.

"Now, let's get down to business. We have an hour and a half until bedtime and I need to make sure I satisfy my woman." He said, his Southern accent suddenly becoming apparent.

Amy's eyes flew wide and she made a funny, squeaking noise.

Sheldon frowned at her. "What was that?"

"Sorry. You have no idea how sexy you sound when you go all Texas on me." Amy purred.

"Oh…Well in that case, saddle up little lady. This bronco needs breakin' in!"

"Hoo…Oh my God, Sheldon!" Amy breathed. "You have your own dirty talk!"

"Really? You mean I actually did it?"

Amy responded by leaping on him, knocking him onto the bed and kissing him hard.

"So…That's a yes, I take it?" Sheldon asked, once Amy had pulled away to take a breath.

"Say more dirty things!" She said in a husky voice.

"Uh…"

"And I don't mean actual dirt, before you try that on me!"

"I know that! Um…I can't think of anything." Sheldon whined.

"Try something sciencey!" Amy replied, unbuttoning her cardigan.

"Um okay…I'm attracted to you so strongly, scientists will have to develop a fifth fundamental force?" Sheldon tried.

Amy's eyes went wide and she grinned broadly. "Very nice!"

"Really?" Sheldon looked surprised, "Well in that case; you must be auxin, because you're causing me to have rapid stem elongation."

"You're much better at this than you think!" Amy purred, seating herself on his lap and looking down appreciatively at his now tented trousers. "You're making me reach boiling point!"

Sheldon swallowed. "Well, how about you make like an exothermic reaction and spread your hotness everywhere?"

Amy whimpered a little and bit her lip.

He was actually teasing her…And she loved it!

"Well, Dr Cooper, seeing as you're a physicist, perhaps we could study the laws of friction and acceleration together." She replied huskily.

Swallowing again, Sheldon exhaled raggedly. "As you wish, Dr Fowler. But first, answer me this: If I was an endoplasmic reticulum, how would you want me: smooth or rough?"

Amy was beside herself.

The two of them stared at each other for a few moments, eyeing each other seductively, willing the other to make the first move.

Just as they closed in their faces to one another's, there was a knock on their door.

"Oh what fresh hell is this?" Sheldon groaned, as the two of them sat bolt upright.

"Shh!" Amy hissed. "Pretend we're asleep."

"Hey guys it's Penny…Leonard's gone to bed over in LA, so I'm going down to the bar, but I guess you're busy in there prepping Amy for her new job. So I'll see you guys at the beach tomorrow!" The voice through the door called.

Amy and Sheldon heard Penny's footsteps walking away and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well there's definitely prepping going on in here!" Amy whispered.

Sheldon did his breathy laugh and then composed himself. "So…Do we continue?"

"Of course… How do we continue after an interruption though?" Amy asked.

"I've no idea," Sheldon shrugged "Although I do know that your clothes would look much better accelerating towards the bedroom floor at 9.8 meters per second squared!"

At that, Amy grabbed Sheldon by his face and kissed him, pulling him back onto the bed.

"Wait; condoms!" Sheldon leaned over and grabbed one of the boxes from the bedside unit, and placed it on the bed as Amy hoisted herself onto his lap again, grinding against him.

"What was that rough and smooth thing again?" She asked.

"Oh, you mean: If I was an endoplasmic reticulum, how would you want me: smooth or rough?" Sheldon said.

Amy bent down over her boyfriend, and removed her cardigan. "Definitely rough." She whispered. "But first you need to remove my shirt."

"Can't you do it?" Sheldon frowned.

"It's much better if you do it for me." Amy replied.

This caused Sheldon to swallow hard. "Okay…" He gingerly reached up and began to undo the buttons on Amy's blouse and pulled it off her.

He marvelled over her body; curvy but still slim with smooth skin.

Sheldon was fascinated by her for some reason, and he ran his hands down her sides, studying every inch of her.

"What?" Amy asked, frowning down at herself. "Am I too thick?"

"No." Sheldon shook his head. "You're remarkable. Of course I'm familiar with the science and anatomy of the female body, but you…" He was lost for words.

Amy gave a small smile. "I never thought you'd make me feel good about my body." She confessed. "In fact, I never thought I'd be laying in a hotel room in Florida with you, about to have sex."

"You and me both!" Sheldon replied, as he slowly took off Amy's skirt and hose, so that she was just in her underwear.

Amy proceeded to remove her boyfriend's trousers and threw them on the floor.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Of course, but I should be asking you." Sheldon answered. "Are _you _ready?"

Amy nodded.

Sheldon rolled on the condom and pulled Amy back onto his lap, into position.

He and Amy made love slowly and intensely, both of them lasting a lot longer than their first time.

After almost an hour, Sheldon let out a small groan and released just ahead of Amy.

"Amy, I'm sorry…" He breathed.

"Oh Sheldon, it's okay. We'll get used to each other soon, and we'll be able to establish a rhythm and then we can 'go' together." She replied, but Sheldon was still moving inside her. "What are you…?"

"Amy, please." He said, silencing her with a kiss. "I need to."

"Need to what? You can't keep going…Men can't keep going after they've ejaculated."

"I thought we'd long established the fact that I'm not like most men. And as I told you earlier, I need to satisfy my woman."

"Hoo!" Amy breathed, as she felt Sheldon quicken his pace, and push deeper. She finally couldn't hold it anymore, and felt herself orgasm at last.

Panting and in a daze, Amy felt Sheldon pull out and shudder as he grabbed some tissue and pulled off the condom, wrapping it in tissue and throwing it in the trash, before pulling his underpants back on, fighting the urge to clean just yet.

"Wow!" Amy blinked. "Just…wow."

Sheldon gave a smug little smile as he returned to the bed. "Was that satisfactory for you?"

"Like you even need to ask!" Amy grinned.


	15. Chapter 15

The next morning Amy and Sheldon went downstairs early for breakfast, but didn't bump into Penny, so they assumed she must still be asleep.

After they had gone back to their room and got ready to go down the beach, they were walking down the hallways, with Amy holding Sheldon's hand and leaning against him as they talked, when they suddenly bumped into Penny…And Leonard!

"Hey guys!" Penny beamed, "Look who came to see me in the early hours of this morning!"

"Hello Leonard." Sheldon and Amy greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you guys had each other, and Penny was basically here on her own and we missed each other, so I flew out last night to surprise her! We're staying an extra week together." Leonard replied. "So, beach today huh?"

"Yep. As a reward for being so damn sweet, you may get lucky in the ocean again!" Penny winked.

"Awesome! Well, I brought my aqua socks just in case!" Leonard replied, kissing Penny.

He turned his attention back to Sheldon and Amy. "You two look very cosy! I'm glad you're back together. Is there any progress on the physical relationship front?" He asked.

Sheldon paled a little and swallowed hard.

"Oh, just kisses and cuddles really." Amy replied.

"They've been sharing a bed, Leonard!" Penny grinned. "They're sleeping together!"

Sheldon and Amy widened their eyes in shock.

Penny caught their expression and misread it. "Oh no…Guys, I didn't mean sexually! I meant actually sleeping." She corrected.

"Ah…Yes. We've been going to sleep in the same bed." Sheldon nodded, feeling guilty for being dishonest.

"Wow! Our Shellybear is finally growing up!" Leonard teased. "Next thing you know, he'll be actually having sex with Amy!"

Sheldon cleared his throat and looked away.

Again, the action was misinterpreted.

"Oh Leonard, stop! You know Sheldon's not comfortable with that yet!" Penny said, defensively. "I'm sorry Sheldon."

"It's okay." Sheldon replied. "So…Beach, yes or no?"

"Yes!" Amy said, quickly.

As the couples walked hand in hand through the hotel, Amy and Sheldon hung back whilst Penny and Leonard chatted excitedly.

"Thank you again for not saying anything." Sheldon whispered.

"You're welcome." Amy replied, "I rather like keeping our sex life quiet! It makes it all the more special to us."

"Agreed." Sheldon nodded.

..

"Sheldon, catch!"

Sheldon looked up from his chair and was almost instantly hit by an inflatable beach ball.

Amy leaned over from her chair next to him, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"I may have lost a few brain cells, so if I suddenly lose any IQ points, that will be why!" Sheldon replied, getting up.

He picked up the beach ball and threw it as hard as he could back at Leonard.

"I did say 'catch'!" Leonard laughed, returning to his game with Penny.

Sheldon rolled his eyes, sitting back down.

"I'm going in the sea in a minute; are you coming?" Amy asked.

"Thank you, but I don't fancy getting stung by jellyfish or walking through dirty water." Sheldon declined.

"Sheldon! Live a little; you're in Florida with the woman you love and our two best friends!" Amy argued.

"But…"

"No buts, you're coming in!" Amy dragged Sheldon to his feet and pulled him towards the water with her.

Amy waded through the water until she was waist-deep. "Come on!" She called over to Sheldon, who was still standing on the sand, letting the water just touch his feet.

Sighing, Sheldon muttered: "The things I do for love!" before cautiously wading in to join Amy.

Where the water came up to Amy's waist, it came up to Sheldon's thighs.

"Hmm. I never realised how short you were compared to me, until now." He commented.

"Then bend down."

"Oh I really don't think…"

Amy had all but leapt on to Sheldon and pulled him lower into the water so that they were both the same height, or near enough.

Amy planted a kiss on Sheldon's lips, and he kissed back.

They both looked for Leonard and Penny, who were further along in the ocean, making out.

Sheldon grimaced. "Are they doing what I think they're doing?"

"Most likely." Amy replied.

"That's very unsanitary!"

"Aww, are you jealous, Sheldon?"

"No! It's not clean in here anyway, and they're…Well, they're contaminating it even more with their sex germs!" Sheldon made a face.

"Would you rather contaminate it with ours?" Amy asked, flirtatiously.

Sheldon looked down at her. "Ohhh no! I am not taking my penis out in a place where it could get stung by a jellyfish!"

"It wouldn't really _be_ out…" Amy pointed out.

Sheldon frowned a little, and looked up at Leonard and Penny again, who were still going.

"What if they see us?" Sheldon whispered.

"I think they're a little too preoccupied with each other!" Amy answered.

"We don't have a condom, and the box says you can't use them in water!" Sheldon said.

"I'm on the pill, Sheldon." Amy hissed.

"_Are _you?!"

"Yes."

"So…You knew we were going to have…?"

"Oh no. It was to stop my menses for a while." Amy replied. "They were painful."

"Ah…So are you currently taking it or are you on your week off?"

"I took it this morning."

Sheldon nodded and stared into the middle distance for a while, considering. "Alright…Sex in the ocean it is. Seeing as I'm becoming some sort of hippie lately, why not?" He said, eventually.

"Oh shut up!" Amy grinned, silencing him with a kiss.

Sheldon hoisted Amy up onto his lap, and held her up as he cleverly managed to move aside their swimming bottoms and inserted himself.

The two of them managed to maintain a rhythm, even with the waves gently lapping.

Sheldon and Amy were so into what they were doing, and so into their kissing at the same time, that they didn't notice Leonard and Penny sneaking up on them until they were met with a huge splash, making them both jump.

Sheldon almost instantly dropped Amy and stumbled forward, pulling his swimming shorts back into place as he helped Amy up.

Luckily, Penny and Leonard hadn't noticed _exactly_ what they were doing, and were laughing madly.

"Oh God, we're sorry guys. But we had to!" Penny laughed.

"Nice to see you two sucking face at last though!" Leonard added, chuckling.

"There was no sucking of anything!" Sheldon replied. "We were…We were kissing."

"That's what 'sucking face' means; you know…Making out." Penny clarified. "Very intense though guys; good for you! You know, if we had seen any other couple making out like that, we know they'd totally be having sex!"

"Oh?" Amy replied, innocently.

"Yeah Sheldon. When are you going to finally give poor Amy some sweet lovin'?" Leonard asked.

"Uh…"

"Leonard! You were the one who told me we can't ask that!" Penny scolded. "But yeah, when?"

Sheldon gulped. "I don't feel comfortable talking about this." He replied, making his way back through the water, and onto the sand.

"I'd better go after him." Leonard said, as he thrashed through the water to catch up with his roommate.

Penny and Amy stayed in the water, and changed the subject, with Amy silently hoping that her boyfriend was okay.

..

"Sheldon, I'm sorry for asking you that." Leonard said, as he sat down on the chair beside his best friend.

Sheldon sighed, his hand still covering his eyes.

"I know you're not comfortable talking about it, and I should have known better than to ask. I'm sorry." Leonard continued.

"Oh Leonard…You really don't get it do you?" Sheldon shook his head.

Leonard frowned. "Get what? I don't understand."

Sighing again, Sheldon uncovered his eyes. "We've managed to fool Penny for two days, but I don't know how much longer I can do this."

"Fool her how? What's wrong? Are you and Amy not really back together?"

"We were kissing, Leonard. What did it look like?"

"Good point. So if you guys are okay, then how have you been fooling Penny?"

"Because we're lying…"

"About what, Sheldon?"

"Please…Please, don't tell anyone." Sheldon pleaded. "And that includes Penny; she'll blab to Bernadette, who will blab to Wolowtiz, who will blab to Raj and so on."

"Blab what!?" Leonard was becoming exasperated.

Sheldon took a deep breath. "Amy and I are having coitus."

Leonard's eyes widened in shock. "No! Are you serious?"

Sheldon nodded, as he looked out to the sea, where Amy and Penny were splashing each other and squealing. "We were actually kind of doing it when you and Penny snuck up on us in the ocean."

"Oh good God." Leonard muttered, "I'm sorry…But wow, I can't believe it! We made all those jokes and it was actually true? Don't I feel stupid."

Sheldon just shrugged.

"So, when you say you're _having _coitus, does that mean you've done it once or twice?" Leonard asked.

"Three times including just now." Sheldon answered.

"Holy crap! Really?"

"Yes. Apparently I'm a natural, and so is she. Also I'm pretty good at talking dirty."

"Wow! Get you, you dog!" Leonard grinned, clapping Sheldon on the shoulder, and being shrugged off for his trouble.

"Please don't tell Penny or the others…Or anyone, whatever you do!" Sheldon asked again.

"Of course not. Thank you for telling me; I know this is a huge thing for you." Leonard replied, sipping his bottle of water. "So, is it love? Do you love Amy?"

Sheldon looked up at the ocean again.

More specifically; he looked up at his girlfriend in her brand new jade green bikini, grinning widely as Penny did a handstand under the water, and then turning and smiling at Sheldon.

Sheldon smiled back. "Yes Leonard, I do. I never thought I'd say this, but I really do. Coming after her was the best decision I ever made."


	16. Chapter 16

At dinner that night, the couples sat together at a table, talking amongst themselves.

"So Sheldon, when are you going to have sex with Amy?" A slightly drunk Penny questioned.

Sheldon looked up, and could see Leonard staring at him, holding his breath.

"Penny, that's a very personal question." Sheldon replied, quietly.

"I know, but come on, you're sharing a hotel room…You're sharing a _bed! _What if one day you find yourself really horny and you just have to have her there and then?"

Sheldon took a breath and held up his hand, signalling to a passing waitress. "Could we have the bill please?" He asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"Sheldon, I'm still eating dessert." Leonard whispered.

"Well, we can still pay the bill. I will go back to the room and you can stay here." Sheldon replied, clenching his jaw.

The waitress hurried away, and the table fell silent.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Amy asked.

"Yes please." Sheldon replied, silently taking her hand under the table as the waitress came back with the bill.

Sheldon and Leonard split it between them, and Sheldon stood up, still holding Amy's hand in full sight of their friends.

"You're holding Amy's hand in public." Penny grinned. "Awww!"

"Yes, I am in fact holding my girlfriend's hand in public. I am indeed going back to the hotel room with her that we share, and yes I will kiss her. Is that such a problem?" Sheldon snapped.

Penny looked taken aback, whilst Leonard just covered his eyes, muttering "oh God…"

"No, I just…You can be intimate in public but you won't have sex with her?" Penny asked, swirling the wine around her glass.

Leonard bit his lip. "Penny, I really don't think that you should…"

"No, it's alright Leonard." Sheldon interrupted. "If I choose to have intercourse with my girlfriend, then I will. It is of no concern to you! What goes on in that bedroom, s_tays _in that bedroom. I will never tell you anything because you will go gossiping to your little gal pal Bernadette, who will then tell Howard, who will tell Raj, who will tell both Lucy and Stuart…Need I go on!?"

Penny blinked. "Sheldon, I was only…"

"No. You know that this is a topic that I find difficult to discuss! And I do not wish to discuss it anymore. Now, if you'll excuse us, we are going to our room…And no, that does not mean we are going to have sex!" Sheldon barked as he stormed out of the restaurant, leading a stunned Amy with him.

Once they reached the elevator, Sheldon manically pressed the 'up' button three times, breathing heavily.

It was taking far too long, and Sheldon was becoming more and more wound up. "Oh for God's sake!" He muttered.

"Sheldon, calm down!" Amy hissed.

"I'm sorry, I just…This is a big thing for me and I know Penny only wants to know so she can blab." Sheldon shook his head.

"She won't if we ask her not to." Amy responded.

Sheldon snorted. "Oh…Really?" He asked, sarcastically.

He growled, as the elevator took even longer to descend.

_Knock, knock, knock,_

"Come on!"

_Knock, knock, knock,_

"Come on!"

_Knock, knock, knock,_

"COME ON!"

At that moment, the doors opened with a 'ding'.

Amy raised her eyebrows. "Oh, look at that…It worked!"

..

Back in the room, Amy silently prepared some snacks in the kitchen, and filled a couple of glasses with bottled water, seating herself on the couch, gazing out the window.

"Amy…"

She looked around to where Sheldon was sat on the bed. "Yes Sheldon?"

"Are you afraid to be near me?"

"A little bit." She admitted.

Sheldon's expression looked crumpled and sad. "I'm really sorry." He replied. "Please will you sit with me? I didn't mean to ruin your last night before you start at the research facility."

Amy smiled softly and joined Sheldon on the bed. "You haven't ruined anything. I know this is an uncomfortable topic; I never wanted to force you into anything…Only give you a little push."

"And I am glad that you did. Amy, these past two days have been the best of my entire life." Sheldon confessed. "I just don't want Penny knowing."

"But you trusted her enough to bring you here, and to tell her that you loved me…" Amy pointed out.

"Yes, but coitus is different." Sheldon replied, "It's so…Intimate. I imagined never having coitus in my entire life, but now I have, it feels special and private."

Amy bit her lip. "Is that why you told Leonard?"

Sheldon blinked and swallowed hard as he looked at Amy. "How did you…"

"I could tell he knew by the look he gave you after Penny asked if you'd ever sleep with me." Amy smiled. "So why can you tell him but not Penny?"

Sheldon sighed. "Well…To be honest, I've known and lived with Leonard for years and have formed a close bond with him. Even though we drive each other nuts, he's like my brother. Penny…Well, Penny's more like my mother figure in the way that she guides me, tells me off for treating you badly etcetera. And come on, you don't tell your mother that you're having coitus, do you?!"

Amy raised an eyebrow, nodding slightly. "I see…Although it kind of weirds me out that Penny's sleeping with your brother if she's meant to be your mother figure."

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "I was speaking figuratively."

"I know." Amy giggled. "I do see what you mean though. Penny's like a sister to me too."

Sheldon frowned. "So, figuratively speaking, I'm sleeping with my aunt?"

Amy laughed and kissed him on the lips.

"She will find out eventually!" She reasoned.

"I know, but whilst it's still new to us, can we keep it between us for now?" Sheldon pleaded. "It's still a touchy subject with me, but I trust Leonard to keep quiet, and I will need someone to ask for advice."

"Fine." Amy agreed. "Now, how about we make my last night of freedom one to really remember?"

She kissed Sheldon again, gliding her tongue along his lips, and being genuinely surprised when he granted her access.

_Wow, he's really taking this promise seriously!_

He tried to slip his own tongue shyly into Amy's mouth, worried in case he did it wrong.

But Amy was happily shocked at how good he was.

The two of them started undressing each other, with Amy peppering kisses all over Sheldon's neck and nibbling his earlobe.

"What's that you're doing?" He asked, "I like that."

"I'm kissing your neck and nibbling your ear. Try it on me." Amy replied.

Sheldon gingerly pressed his lips against Amy's neck, and followed the line down from her neck to her shoulder, and back around to her collarbone, until he stopped just short of her breasts.

He hesitated.

"You've already hit second base before, so go ahead." Amy purred.

"I'm not sure what to do here." Sheldon blushed. "Do I kiss them too?"

"Do whatever you like to them!" Amy replied, running her hands along his chest and slowly down to unzip his pants.

Sheldon took a deep breath and lowered his lips to Amy's bare breasts, and kissed the flesh around her nipple.

Amy shuddered excitedly, as she rubbed his manhood, which was rapidly tenting his trousers.

"I need you…Now." Sheldon said at last, sitting up to roll the condom on.

Amy pulled her panties down and Sheldon positioned himself at her entrance, sliding himself in.

As the pair of them kissed feverishly, Amy reached up and ran her hands through her boyfriend's hair, and parted her legs more to let Sheldon push himself in deeper and faster.

This caused the bedsheets to fall onto the floor, exposing their naked bodies to the air in the room.

Amy moaned loudly as she orgasmed and Sheldon, also letting out a moan, came shortly after, just as the door opened.

"Hey guys, Sheldon left his card key and I just came to apologise for earlier…OH MY GOD!"

Even in their post-orgasmic and post-coital daze, Amy and Sheldon couldn't mistake Penny's shocked voice ringing through the entire room.

They froze for a few moments and gazed towards the door, where Penny had her hand over her mouth in shock and was turned away from them.

"Oh Lord…Penny…This isn't what it…Okay, it is _exactly _what it looks like." Sheldon stammered, covering himself and Amy with the bedsheets as they pulled their clothes back on and disposed of the condom.

Penny spun back around. "I…I'm so sorry. Sheldon you…You left your card key when you stormed out of the restaurant earlier. I came to return it and apologise. But…You were…Is this the first time you've…?"

Amy bit her lip and cleared her throat, too embarrassed to speak.

"Um…No." Sheldon answered.

Penny's eyes widened as it finally dawned on her.

"Hold on! All those times when you were acting all weird, and I kept saying that if it was anyone else, I'd guess they had sex, but because it's you, I don't think that…And all the time…You _were _having it?!" Penny stammered.

"Yes."

"Oh my God…I thought I was drunk enough, but clearly there is not enough alcohol in the world to make me ever forget this." Penny shook her head.

"Penny…I didn't want you to know because you would probably tell someone, and now you've…You've _seen _us having coitus! Oh God, please don't tell anyone. Please Penny!" Sheldon begged.

"Sheldon!" Penny looked hurt, "I would never tell anyone if it's that confidential to you. I can't believe you lied to me."

"It is. It's special and it's new to both of us." Sheldon replied. "Making love to Amy is so much better than I imagined. I always thought that coitus was dirty and pointless, but now I know that it isn't if you're with the right person." He smiled at Amy, who smiled back at him. "For the record, I'm sorry that I lied to you. I just wanted to keep this private and not have everyone know about it until we're ready."

"Sheldon, you're like family to me! You of all people should know that I'll take something like this to the grave. Amy has always wanted this kind of relationship with you, and I am so happy that you're finally there, and that you're doing it for love." Penny smiled. "Anyway, here's your key. I'll get out of your hair." She smiled, but she still looked a little hurt as she closed the door.

Amy sighed. "I feel terrible."

"Me too." Sheldon replied, "Do you think I should apologise tomorrow?"

Amy shrugged, leaning in to kiss him on the lips. "I don't know; maybe it's best that you do. Come on, let's get cleaned up."

Sheldon leaned his head back against the headboard.

He felt something inside of him; something he rarely felt.

Guilt.

He had said that Penny was a mother figure to him, even if she was younger than he was!

One thing he knew was that upsetting or lying to your family was never okay.

"I'll apologise in the morning." Sheldon promised himself as he slid out of the bed and joined Amy In the shower.


	17. Chapter 17

The next morning, Amy made herself some toast in the suite kitchen instead of going down to the restaurant.

Sheldon noticed that Amy was a lot quieter than usual, and clumsier.

He padded across the room and picked up the new carton of orange juice that she had just dropped.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"Am I right in guessing that you're nervous?" Sheldon asked.

"Very." Amy sighed.

"Is it possible for you to channel that negative thought into a positive thought and be excited instead? This is a great opportunity." Sheldon said, pouring himself some cereal.

"I could try." Amy shrugged. "Thank you Sheldon." She stood on tiptoes to kiss him, before biting into her toast.

"What time do you start?" Sheldon asked, opening the doors to the balcony.

"Nine thirty." Amy replied.

"You have almost two whole hours!" Sheldon blinked.

"Yes, well I woke up early because I was so nervous."

"What time did you get up?"

Amy looked at the clock. "6:35; I showered, brushed my teeth, got dressed, and now I'm here."

"And you didn't wake me?"

"Sorry Sheldon. But you're home-commuting from today. I figured it wouldn't matter." Amy replied.

"Well Good Lord Amy. Since being here, my schedule seems to have gone out the window!" Sheldon complained.

"Oh boo hoo. Welcome to the life of a normal person." Amy responded. "So…Are you going to apologise to Penny?"

"Yes, I haven't forgotten." Sheldon replied. "But she won't be awake yet. If I go downstairs and knock for her and Leonard, she'll maul be like a rabid dog. Especially after we lied to her."

"_We?" _Amy snorted.

"Yes, we. Are you forgetting that you were the one who made up the excuses to defend me? This is really down to you." Sheldon replied, and was met by being smacked on the butt with a dishtowel.

"Why did you hit me on the buttocks with a dishtowel?" He frowned.

Amy grinned. "To discourage further bad behaviour."

"How was I behaving badly?"

"By blaming all of this on me." Amy whipped the towel on his backside again.

"Amy, stop it."

She did it again.

"Amy! Don't!"

As she went to whip him with the towel again, Sheldon stood up.

"Okay, that's it. I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice!" He said, as he turned around to face her, and began to tickle her sides.

"Sheldon, no! Stop!" She laughed, sinking to the floor. "Sheldon I can't take it anymore!" She laughed breathlessly as she squirmed on the floor, and pulled her boyfriend down with her.

He continued to tickle her, as she tried to worm her way out of reach of his hands, squealing.

"Shh!" We'll wake the people in the suite next door!" Sheldon shushed.

"There…There's nobody…Nobody in there!" Amy giggled.

The tickle war continued until Amy rolled over and tapped her hand three times on the carpeted floor. "I surrender!" She said, breathlessly.

Sheldon stopped tickling her and panted for breath, as they both collapsed on to the floor, still clutching each other.

He turned his head to face her. "Your hair smells of coconut." He said. "I like it."

"Well…We're in Florida, so I thought I'd go all tropical." Amy replied.

"I like your new clothes too." Sheldon commented, glancing down at Amy's navy skirt-suit.

The skirt was a little shorter than Amy's usual style, and the white shirt she wore underneath the blazer was tighter and lower cut than her usual style, too.

"Thank you. We have to wear uniform here, although most of the time it will be hidden under a lab coat!" Amy smiled. "I'll also have a wetsuit and breathing apparatus in my locker at the facility! I'll need diving, marine tank and dolphin communication training, because those are compulsory for all the staff and scientists there, but how cool is that!"

"Very." Sheldon nodded, "But…You will be careful won't you?"

"Of course. I can swim pretty well anyway, but we all need to train anyway…"

"No, I mean in general. Don't let any of the dolphins hurt you."

"The dolphins won't hurt me. They are treated humanely and lovingly there, and everything is done with the dolphins' and staff's health and safety in mind." Amy reassured. "I'll be careful."

Sheldon smiled at her. "I see my diversionary tactics worked."

Amy frowned. "What?"

"You're not nervous anymore."

"You're right!" Amy blinked, and then threw her arms around Sheldon, almost bowling him over. "Thank you baby!" She kissed him.

Sheldon frowned now, and looked at Amy. "Did you just call me baby?"

"Um…"

"I'm not a baby!"

"No, it's a term of endearment too. Like…'Hey baby, you're looking sexy today' or 'I love you baby.' Or whatever."

"Oh…I thought it was just what mothers called their children as a term of endearment, not lovers or romantic partners?" Sheldon replied.

"Do you not want me to call you that again?" Amy asked, quietly.

Sheldon shook his head. "No…I like it." He kissed the top of her head. "I really like it, baby."

Amy grinned. "I have you trained well." She laughed.

..

Once Amy had left to go to her new job, after an emotional goodbye, which Sheldon hated, he wandered down to the restaurant, just in time to catch Penny and Leonard heading back out towards the rooms.

"Ah, there you are. I need to talk to you." Sheldon said.

Penny cleared her throat, not looking at him. "Okay…"

"I heard about Penny catching you and Amy in the act last night." Leonard chuckled. "Nice going!"

It sounded like Leonard was giving a genuine compliment, and he held up his fist to fist-bump Sheldon.

Instead of fist-bumping, Sheldon just shook Leonard's hand, causing his friend to silently frown and roll his eyes.

"It's not funny Leonard; I'm scarred for life!" Penny complained.

"Penny, forgive me, but didn't you _want _me to have coitus with Amy?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, but not in front of me!"

"We were in our own room. You came in…This is really on you."

Penny glared at him. "Oooh, well I'm sorry! You left your card key and I was returning it! Come on, you're Sheldon Cooper, how the hell did I know I was going to walk in on you giving it good to Amy?"

"You could have slipped the card key under the door." Leonard pointed out.

Penny turned to glare at him, and he shut up.

"First of all Penny, please correct your grammar; the correct phrase is 'giving it to Amy _well_', and secondly, who I am is irrelevant. You could have knocked." Sheldon said.

"Screw grammar! And yes, it is totally relevant! You are the one man in the world who thinks sex is evil, and there you are doing it! I wasn't meant to know…"

"Alright, alright…Look, I came to apologise for lying to you and for not telling you first. I understand that your feelings are hurt and that you feel I don't trust you, and I'm sorry." Sheldon said.

Penny smiled. "It's okay. I understand why you wanted to keep it secret…I should never have tried to push it out of you. You and Amy were ready and did it out of love." She said. "I'm sorry too…And I'm sorry for walking in on you!"

"Thank you."

"So…Do you really think of me as a mother figure? I'm younger than you." Penny grinned.

"Age is irrelevant. You point me in the right direction, tell me off if I upset Amy or other people, and you help me a great deal." Sheldon replied, "And Leonard is like an annoying brother that I still live with."

Leonard frowned. "I'm _really _flattered Sheldon, but if I'm your brother and Penny is like our mother…Technically I'm _sleeping_ with our mother!"

"Leonard, please. What you do with our mother is of no interest to me."

Penny laughed. "We're like the most screwed up family in the world!"

Leonard snorted. "Try living with my real mother!"

"Try living with Wolowitz's mother!" Sheldon piped up, making Penny and Leonard laugh.


	18. Chapter 18

Amy took a deep breath as she walked through the front entrance to The _Fitzpatrick Marine Biology Facility. _

_She approached the front desk and spoke to the receptionist._

_"Hello Dr Fowler, pleased to meet you at last. I'll call through for Professor Roberts." The receptionist smiled, shaking Amy's hand as she picked up the phone on her desk._

_"He'll be right down; do you want to take a seat?" _

_Amy smiled and nodded, sitting on one of the faux-suede couches in the reception, picking up a newspaper from the table and leafing through it._

_Moments later, an older gentleman walked through the automatic doors into the reception area._

_"Dr Fowler?"_

_"Yes, good morning sir." Amy smiled, standing up and shaking his hand._

_"I'm Professor Edward Roberts; the head of the neurobiology department. Very happy to have you on board." He smiled._

_"The pleasure's all mine, sir." Amy replied, politely._

_"If you'd like to follow me, I'll show you to the neurobiology department." Professor Roberts said, as he led Amy through the doors._

_Amy turned around and said goodbye to the receptionist, who returned the pleasantries, before returning to her work._

_As they walked through the building, Amy marvelled at the décor. _

_The walls were white and blue, and the lighting was bright. The whole building looked relatively modern, with skylights in the ceiling and dark grey vinyl flooring, to glass doors and blue and glass desks dotted around._

_Professor Roberts led Amy through some double-doors, labelled 'Neurobiology Facility', and Amy gasped._

_The room was large, with big desks and workbenches, named and numbered lockers containing the named lab coats, wetsuits and breathing apparatus, and a door way over on the far side of the room that led outside to the tank side, where the dolphins were kept._

_Most impressively, right in front of the front row of computers, was a humungous pane of strong glass that saw right into the dolphin tank._

_"We call that the Observation Gallery." Professor Roberts explained, following Amy's gaze and smiling proudly. "The dolphin tank is a mile long and half a mile wide, hence why this lab is so huge. On the opposite side of the tank, is the other lab, and they specialise in the general biology behind the dolphins. And on this side of the tank…" He pointed to the right, "Are actually two rooms; first is the marine veterinarian facility, and right next to that is the staff emergency room. They can both access the free side of the dolphin tank if they need to, by an elevator leading to two walkways over the tank. It's totally safe."_

_Amy shook her head. "This is amazing! I can't believe I'm going to spend five months here!"_

_Professor Roberts smiled at her. "It is an amazing place. I'm lucky to work here myself. This facility is only five years old, but has already saved the lives of many dolphins, and proven a lot of theories. Your job is related to the similarity between dolphin and human behaviour, I believe?"_

_Amy nodded. "That's correct. Then I'll be taking my research back to UCLA to release our paper…Perhaps…" She bit her lip._

_"Perhaps what, Dr Fowler?"_

_"Perhaps I could credit you in my research paper? If you would like to be my co-author?" Amy asked, shyly._

_"I am very honoured that you would consider that, Dr Fowler." Professor Roberts replied, "But this research is all your own. I'll be happy to help with anything you need. I wouldn't want to steal your limelight. Besides…You're brilliant; UCLA have already informed me that you are their best neurobiologist. Who knows? This paper might very well get you shortlisted for tenure back in LA!"_

_Amy grinned. "You think so?"_

_"Probably, if what I have been hearing about you is true." Professor Roberts led Amy over to the lockers, and pointed to number 8, which had her name newly labelled on it. Opening it up, he revealed brand new breathing apparatus, a wetsuit, a box of disposable gloves and her named lab coat, before locking it again._

_"This is your own personal locker. It has everything that you need; here's the key. Don't lose it! Your desk is this one." He said, handing Amy her key and leading her to desk number 8. "Your locker and desk number will match; it's also your department employee number as part of our health and safety regulations. So you'll be Dr Fowler, Neurobiology 8." _

_Amy nodded. _

_"Now, are there any questions?" Professor Roberts asked. _

_"Uh…No Professor." Amy shook her head._

_"Very well. Your aquatic and diving training will be at 11:00 until 11:50. There are changing rooms at the back of this room; always place your clothing and valuables in your locker for aquatic and diving training, and place your locker key in the zip pocket of your wetsuit to keep it on your person at all times. Your first task for today is to just settle in, and Beth here will show you the ropes with the technology." Professor Roberts smiled, introducing Amy and Beth; employee number 11. _

_"Thank you." Amy smiled, as Professor Roberts smiled back and returned to his workbench._

_Amy took a deep breath._

_"Ready, Dr Fowler?" Beth smiled at her._

_Amy nodded. "I'm ready!"_

_.._

_That afternoon when Amy returned to the hotel, she was walking on air._

_Her first day had been brilliant!_

_She let herself into the suite, and found Sheldon just firing off an email, before closing his laptop._

_The large table in the suite was covered in papers, which Sheldon immediately cleared away._

_"Hello Amy. How was your first day?" He smiled._

_"Amazing!" She replied, heading to the kitchen to make a drink._

_"Anything else?" Sheldon asked._

_"Well, they were impressed with how quickly I grasped using the software, and also how good I was in my aquatic and diving training. Oh Sheldon, I'd love you to see it one day!" Amy grinned._

_"I'd love to. Anything remotely scientific interests me!" He replied, taking a mug from one of the cupboards and taking over the kettle to make Amy's drink._

_Amy sat on the couch and sighed, as Sheldon carried her coffee over._

_"How was your work?" Amy asked._

_"I'm still working on _string perturbation theory; I was just emailing some work in." Sheldon replied. "What would you like to do for dinner? Do you think maybe we could dine alone tonight?"

Amy frowned at him. "Why? I wanted to tell Leonard and Penny about my first day."

"We can tell them afterwards. We could meet them in the bar after dinner." Sheldon suggested

"Um…Okay, but you hate drinking."

"I won't be drinking."

"Sheldon, what's going on?"

"Nothing. Am I not allowed to celebrate my girlfriend's first successful day at work with her?"

"You are, but why are we dining alone when it isn't even date night?" Amy asked.

"I thought we had abandoned that…" Sheldon replied. "Truthfully, I just want to be alone with you. Without the questions, without the taunts…Just you and me."

"Okay." Amy smiled, "You're really serious about keeping up your promise aren't you?"

"Of course. I take promises very seriously." Sheldon replied, truthfully. "Even more so when they involve you."

"Aww!" Amy grinned.

Sheldon smiled, "Yes, well hurry up and change so I can take you to dinner."

"What do you think I should wear?" Amy asked.

"Does it matter?" Sheldon responded as he wandered over to the walk-in closet. "You won't be in it for long!"

Amy's eyes widened. "Oh my!" She whispered excitedly to herself.


	19. Chapter 19

Sheldon straightened his tie and took a deep breath as he pocketed his card key, wallet and phone. He stashed his emergency hand sanitizer bottle in one of his pockets too, and waited for Amy.

Moments later, she stepped out of the bathroom in a stunning teal coloured dress with diamante studs around the bodice. She wore low nude heels on her feet, and had piled her hair up and applied some makeup.

"I had a Facetime conversation with Bernadette while I was getting ready. Is this too much?" She asked, giving a twirl.

Sheldon swallowed, widening his eyes. "Wow…"

"Well, is it or isn't it?" Amy prompted.

"No it's…It's perfect!" Sheldon replied.

Amy grinned. "Thanks…Is that a suit?"

"Yes." Sheldon looked down at what he was wearing.

The suit was a dark gray, all except for the black shirt and shoes he was wearing.

"Okay, you're scaring me now." Amy laughed. "What's going on?"

"All in good time." Was Sheldon's reply, as Amy gathered her purse and jacket.

The two of them left the room and locked their door, before walking down the hallway and to the elevator.

..

Once outside, Sheldon was striding slightly ahead, like an excited dog on a leash.

Amy did a little run to catch up with him and slipped her hand into his.

Lacing his fingers through hers, Sheldon suddenly spoke up. "There it is!"

Amy frowned. "Where is what?"

Sheldon led them across the road to a restaurant.

Glancing at the sign, Amy realized that they were heading into a Ruby Tuesday's restaurant.

"Wow! This place is pretty nice!" She breathed as they stepped inside, waiting at the podium for a waiter.

Amy noticed that the restaurant was empty apart from them and the staff.

The waiter approached. "Ah, Dr Cooper isn't it?" He smiled.

Sheldon nodded.

"Right this way, sir."

Sheldon and Amy followed the waiter to a two-seater table and handed them the menus.

"They'll be out in a sec; I'll tell them you've arrived!" The waiter winked at Sheldon.

"What? Who? Sheldon, what's going on?" Amy asked.

Sheldon opened his mouth to speak, but he averted his gaze to the staff door, and closed his mouth, smiling slightly.

A group of four men approached the table.

Amy turned to face them, and they began to sing;

'_Congratulations Amy; first day at your new career,_

_I'm happy that it went so well, and that you like it here,_

_Let me tell you that I'm proud of what you have achieved,_

_I love you Amy and well done, from Sheldon Cooper, PhD!'_

Amy squealed excitedly, and threw her hands to her mouth. "Oh my God…Sheldon! That was brilliant!" She turned to give him a hug and then faced the barbershop quartet again. "You were brilliant, thank you so much!"

Sheldon paid them, and they walked away, wishing the couple a good night.

"Sheldon…I can't believe that you did that for me." Amy smiled. "Thank you." She leaned forward to kiss him. "That was the best surprise ever…Well, apart from you coming to Florida after me!"

"Uh, actually…That wasn't it." Sheldon replied.

Amy frowned.

"Amy, I came to Florida to tell you that I love you…I told you at your hotel room door, and I think I can do better than that." He continued. "So…Amy Farrah Fowler; I won't use some line from a movie, no matter how much I love that movie. I love you more than any of them to know you deserve something real. I was a fool to wait so long to tell you how I feel, but honestly, I didn't know what I felt because it was so alien to me… But being apart from you made me realise. You are so smart and beautiful and perfect for me, and…I love you."

Amy stared at Sheldon for what felt like ages when he had stopped speaking.

He shifted uncomfortably and bit his lip, his eyes nervously darting round the room, and then staring right back at Amy.

Amy's mouth opened and closed, unable to speak. Eventually, she managed; "Y…You think I'm beautiful and perfect?" She whispered.

"Extremely." Sheldon replied.

Amy grinned. "I love you too." She leaned in to kiss him, hearing him sigh with relief just before he kissed her back.

At that moment, the waitress near them sniffed, and they turned to face her.

Her eyes were filling with tears. "That was beautiful. You make all other men look like hopeless cases compared to you."

Sheldon smiled shyly.

"Anyway, can I take your orders?" The waitress asked.

..

As Sheldon and Amy walked back to the hotel and into the bar, Amy was grinning from ear to ear.

They bought their drinks and found Penny and Leonard sitting at a raised table, with two vacant seats.

"There you are! We wondered when you'd show up! How was dinner?" Penny smiled, pulling out the seat beside her for Amy.

"Wonderful. Sheldon told me he loves me!" Amy grinned.

Penny frowned. "Um…Sweetie, he already told you on Friday night."

"No, no…He hired a barbershop quartet to sing out a message from him. Like…Well done on my first day, he's proud of me and that he loves me…" Amy explained.

"Wow! He…He hired a barbershop quartet to serenade you? That's so romantic!" Penny replied.

"I know! Then, he re-told me that he loves me because he said that telling me at my hotel door wasn't very romantic, so he had this entire speech. Oh he is so getting lucky tonight!" Amy said, grinning.

Penny laughed. "Aww, I'm so happy for you! Anyway, well done on your first day at your job, Ames!" She clinked glasses with Amy.

"Yeah, well done Amy!" Leonard joined the conversation, clinking his glass with hers.

"What you got there?" Leonard asked Sheldon, peering into his friend's glass.

"Coke." Sheldon replied.

"Very adventurous!" Leonard replied, sarcastically.

Of course, Sheldon didn't grasp the sarcasm. "I know! Usually, I order Diet!"

Leonard and Penny soon got lost in a conversation, so Amy turned to Sheldon.

"Guess which theoretical physicist is getting himself so laid tonight?" Amy said, seductively.

Sheldon frowned. "Uh…Me?"

"Oh yes!" Amy winked.

"But Amy, we have had coitus four times already…Shouldn't we have a break from it?" Sheldon replied.

Amy looked confused until she saw a grin spread across her boyfriend's face.

"Bazinga! Come on, we have just under an hour before bedtime!" He said, taking Amy's hand as they slipped out of the bar, unnoticed.


	20. Chapter 20

"Dr Fowler?"

Amy looked up to where her name was being called from.

"Yes, Professor Roberts?" She replied, straightening up.

"We have two newcomers here; a dolphin and her calf. We've named them Soleil and Capri. Soleil is the mother, and Capri is the calf…Capri is very inquisitive of humans, but his mother is very frightened of us, which is unlike many dolphins. Dolphins are usually curious, but she is terrified. Do you think you could monitor her?" Professor Roberts asked.

"Of course sir." Amy nodded. "One request though…I'd really like to show my boyfriend this. Is there any way you or someone else can record my work?"

"Hannah will be diving down with you," Professor Roberts replied, nodding to where Hannah, the diving instructor, had just emerged from the changing rooms in her wetsuit and diving apparatus. "I could attach an underwater video recorder to her diving helmet, and give you the memory card afterwards so you can show him. Of course, we would need it back though."

"Of course!" Amy beamed, rushing to her locker, "Thank you sir!"

"I'll get that set up for you right now." He promised, as Amy took her diving gear into the changing rooms.

..

"Do you have the electrodes?" Hannah asked, pressing record on the video recorder.

"Yes." Amy confirmed, tapping the pocket of her wetsuit.

"Okay. In we go!" Hannah said, as the two women adjusted their apparatus and masks, before diving into the marine pool.

"This one is Capri." Hannah said through the microphone underneath her helmet.

"Okay, so I'm guessing that Soleil can't be that far away?" Amy replied into hers.

"Here she is!" Hannah responded almost immediately, as she pointed towards a dolphin with a white patch near her dorsal fin.

Hannah attempted to swim near the dolphin, but Amy's instincts kicked in.

"Hannah, wait!" She said suddenly; "What if we stay still and let her come to us?"

Hannah looked to Amy. "Hmm, I don't know. I know that she's afraid of humans, so what if she doesn't come near us?"

"But all dolphins have a natural curiosity, right? I have an idea." Amy replied. "Please can I try it?"

Hannah nodded. "They do…Okay; sure thing Dr Fowler." She replied, staying as still as she could.

"Turn around and face away from her." Amy whispered through the headset, and turning around herself.

Hannah followed her lead.

Soleil glanced at the two divers and cocked her head.

She slowly swam towards them.

Amy could see her reflection in her diver's helmet.

"Move forward." Amy whispered through the headset, and she and Hannah slowly moved forward, away from the dolphin.

Capri was swimming inquisitively around the two women, but they remained still.

Soleil was slowly approaching them now.

Amy and Hannah moved forward again, until Soleil's curiosity got the better of her, and her nose nudged them both lightly on the back.

Amy slowly turned around and held out her hand.

Soleil looked at it, and bumped it with her nose, before proceeding to roll over in the water.

Hannah's eyes widened. "This is amazing!" She whispered.

Amy smiled to herself as she slowly and carefully extracted the electrodes from her pocket and attached them gently to Soleil's head.

Hannah pressed a button on her headset box which was attached to her back pocket.

"Hannah Burkin to lab; the electrodes have been connected. Over."

"Message received; wireless data being received. We'll analyse it tomorrow. Over." Crackled the voice of Professor Roberts over the headset.

"Excellent job, Amy!" Hannah smiled. "You're a natural! I'm so glad we caught this on video!"

"I know!" Amy grinned broadly through her helmet, as Soleil let Amy stroke her gray, cool skin. "I can't wait to show Sheldon!"

..

Later that afternoon, Sheldon leaned back in his seat as the video of Amy with Soleil finished, and Amy removed the memory card adaptor from the laptop.

"Amy…That was amazing!" Sheldon said, "I'm speechless!"

"That's a rare thing for you!" Amy teased.

"Amy Farrah Fowler, after the intense lovemaking I gave you last night, you should be nicer to me!" Sheldon replied, smiling cheekily.

Amy grinned. "Fair point."

"I still can't believe that you have such a natural flair with dolphins. If you can be so caring and instinctive with a dolphin, imagine what you would be like with children!" Sheldon smiled.

At that, Amy looked up, wide eyed.

"What?"

"What?" Sheldon repeated, swallowing hard, the realization of what he had just said hitting him.

"Sheldon…We're not even married. I don't want children yet." Amy spluttered.

"I know, I know…I was just speaking hypothetically." Sheldon answered, quickly.

Amy just nodded, frowning.

"On an unrelated topic, what if we _were_ married?" Sheldon piped up.

Amy stared at him. "I…I don't know. Sheldon, it took you three years to say that you love me and started being intimate with me. This is moving too fast!"

Sheldon gave a sad smile. "Forgive me Amy, but you wanted this relationship to progress into kissing, cuddling, public displays of affection, the "I love you's" and intercourse. We have done those things."

"I know, but…Sheldon, I know that you're making up for all those years when we had no physical relationship; you've done incredibly well, but I know you don't really want to get married." Amy smiled weakly. "And I'm okay with that."

Sheldon just nodded. "Fair enough; but what if I _do _want to?" He hinted.

Amy shrugged. "I don't know…I assumed you would never want to marry me nor have children to be honest. But I do know that we aren't there yet."

Sheldon nodded again, slowly.

He swallowed hard. "Excuse me; I'm feeling a little tired, I might go lie down for a bit." He muttered.

"Oh…Okay. Would you like me to come with you?" Amy offered.

"No, it's okay…You go and see Penny for a bit." Sheldon replied quietly.

Amy opened her mouth to protest, but Sheldon had closed his eyes and was fiddling with his bedside drawer.

Sighing, Amy grabbed her belongings in her shoulder bag, and left the suite.

Once she'd left, Sheldon took the little cube shape out of the drawer and sighed loudly.

He placed it back, hiding it behind a book and his emergency stash of money and protection, out of sight, and closed his eyes.

..

Amy approached Penny and Leonard's room and knocked.

Moments later Penny answered. "Oh hey, Ames! We were just going for a swim; we have until nine when the pool closes. You coming?"

"Sure." Amy shrugged. "But I don't have my swimsuit."

Penny frowned. "What's wrong?"

Amy shook her head.

"Come in; you can borrow one of my swimsuits while you tell me what happened." Penny invited.

Amy entered Penny and Leonard's room and Penny took out a plain purple bikini, handing it to Amy.

"Will this even fit me?" Amy asked.

"Of course it will." Penny insisted. "Go put it on."

Amy let herself into the bathroom and returned minutes later, still in her clothes, but with the bikini on underneath; the halterneck straps just visible.

"Thanks Penny." Amy smiled as Penny handed her a spare towel.

"You're welcome. Now…What did Sheldon do?" Penny asked as she, Amy and Leonard walked out of the room with their belongings and locked the door, making their way to the elevator.

"Nothing. I think I upset _him._" Amy replied, remorsefully.

Leonard frowned. "Really? That doesn't seem likely."

Penny smirked a little, but Amy didn't see it.

"Well, I showed him a video of me dealing with a sensitive dolphin today, and he was really impressed, which then led to him saying if I'm that good with dolphins, what would I be like with kids?" Amy explained.

"Whoa, wait…WHAT!?" Penny exclaimed.

"I know, right?" Amy nodded, "Then he started asking about kids and marriage, and I said we only _just _got into the swing of having a normal relationship; we aren't there yet! So, he got upset and basically told me he wanted to be alone…So I came to see you guys."

Penny blinked. "Wow…Sheldon _wants _to be married and be a daddy? That's so not like him! Maybe it's something in the water?"

Amy shrugged.

The two women turned to face Leonard, who remained silent, biting his lip.

"Uh…You two go on ahead. I'll go talk to him." Leonard said.

"Are you sure?" Penny asked.

"Yeah; we have just over two weeks left here, so it's no biggie! I'll see you later." Leonard replied. "I'll see you later, ladies!"

"See ya." Penny and Amy replied in unison, as Penny kissed her boyfriend goodbye.

Leonard hurried into the free elevator that Penny and Amy weren't taking, and pressed the button for the 20th floor.

Once alone inside the elevator which had begun its ascent, Leonard sighed. "Oh Sheldon Cooper, you really do love her don't you?" He muttered, shaking his head.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Thanks for reading too, and hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**..**

Leonard approached Sheldon and Amy's suite and knocked on the door.

Sheldon's voice inside call out "go away."

"Sheldon it's me. Let me in…Please?" Leonard called back.

"I know who it is; I recognize your knock." Was Sheldon's reply.

"I just want to talk to you." Leonard said.

Sheldon sighed and rolled off the bed reluctantly, and opened the door.

Leonard frowned when he saw Sheldon's eyes were a bit puffy.

"Have you been crying?"

"No."

Leonard pushed past Sheldon and sat at the couch. "The girls are down at the pool. Amy looked pretty upset."

Sheldon said nothing as he joined Leonard on the couch and stared out of the balcony doors.

"What happened, Sheldon?" Leonard coaxed gently.

"I…" Sheldon closed his mouth again and shook his head, sighing.

He tried again. "I'm not cut out for all this romance stuff."

"Why not?"

"I keep getting it wrong. I've pushed Amy away twice. Maybe we should have stayed broken up; she would be better off without me."

"Are you kidding me? Sheldon, that woman has not stopped smiling since Friday! It's only been less than a week, and I've never seen her so happy!" Leonard protested.

Sheldon frowned. "You just said she looked upset."

"She did, but only because you guys had a fight." Leonard replied.

"We didn't have a fight exactly…" Sheldon explained. "Just a difference of opinion."

"Regarding what?"

Sheldon looked at Leonard, whose expression was a mask of concern.

The tall physicist sighed. "Do you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Of course…Oh God is Amy pregnant?!" Leonard looked shocked.

"No! No, nothing like that…" Sheldon got to his feet and pulled open his bedside drawer and rummaged around until he found the little box that he had hidden at the back and opened it up, revealing a white gold ring with a single diamond on it; simple and elegant.

"Well I'm very flattered Sheldon, but I am only interested in my beautiful girlfriend who is way out of my league." Leonard joked.

Sheldon gave his friend a withering look.

"It's for Amy! Or at least it was!" Sheldon snapped the box shut and hid it at the back of the drawer again, seating himself on the bed, moodily.

Leonard sat next to him. "You were going to propose?" He asked softly.

Sheldon was silent for a while. "What difference does it make if I was? She made it clear that it's too soon."

"That doesn't mean that she never will marry you!" Leonard replied, "And what does she mean 'too soon'? You guys have been together for three years!"

Sheldon looked at his friend. "Have we, Leonard?" He shook his head, "I was never really _in _the relationship was I? We didn't act like a couple…I never gave her any affection or attention. Technically we've only been together for five days…Now I finally know how she felt. For a so-called genius, I'm pretty stupid."

Leonard swore that he saw a tear run down his friend's cheek and gingerly patted him on the back, expecting Sheldon to shrug him off or swat him away, but he didn't.

Sheldon sat still, accepting the consolation.

"You're not stupid." Leonard said, "People develop at different speeds in their lives. Unfortunately you were just a little slower than Amy, but that doesn't mean she won't marry you if that's what you really want."

Sheldon snorted.

"No, don't snort Sheldon; it's true. Look, Amy is very happy with you now and things are going so well. You're together; you love each other…Isn't that enough?" Leonard asked.

Sheldon just nodded, wordlessly.

"She will say yes one day Sheldon. She's wanted this for like ever!"

"You think so?"

"I _know _so! Now come on, let's go down to the pool. We have four hours until it closes." Leonard said.

Sighing, Sheldon got up and changed in the bathroom, grabbing a bottle of water, sunscreen and his phone and card key before following his friend out of the door.

..

"Hey you! I was wondering if you'd make it down!" Penny grinned from the water, shielding her eyes from the sun as she watched Leonard approach the pool area with Sheldon in tow. "Hey Sheldon!"

At that moment, Amy looked up and spotted her boyfriend, who smiled weakly at her.

Amy returned the smile briefly, before submerging under the water to get away from his gaze.

She felt guilty, and didn't want him to see her.

On the poolside, Sheldon took a deep breath and pulled off his shirt and shorts.

"Whoa, whoa! It's not that kind of place!" Penny protested. "Put your clothes back on!"

"I'm going in the pool." Sheldon frowned.

"Oh…Wait, what? You hate swimming pools! All the germs and bacteria and whatever." Penny protested.

"Are you trying to put me off?" Sheldon asked.

"Well, no but…"

Before Penny could finish her sentence, Sheldon had made his way down the steps and into the water.

He shivered at how cool the water was, compared to the boiling hot sun.

Sheldon waded over in Amy's direction, breaking into a swim as the water deepened, surprised at how naturally he had taken to the water.

Amy had re-surfaced now and was doing everything she could to avoid eye contact.

_Please don't shout at me, please don't shout at me… _

Her mind was racing as Sheldon gripped hold of the edge of the pool where Amy was floating.

She finally looked up into his eyes and was immediately lost in the piercing blue color.

She swallowed.

"Sheldon, I'm sorry that I upset you. I just…"

"You're mine and that's all that matters." He interrupted, silencing her with a passionate kiss.

Penny and Leonard stared, wide-eyed.

Sheldon Cooper had made his first ever public display of affection.

In a pool…

A public pool at that…And without a care in the world!

Penny and Leonard both wolf-whistled.

"Get a room!" Leonard laughed.

"We have one." Was Sheldon's reply, mid-kiss.

"Then use it." Penny called.

"Believe me Penny, that room _will_ be used later!"

..


	22. Chapter 22

That night as Sheldon and Amy returned to their suite, Amy cleared her throat.

"Well, you were doing really well in the water until you got to the deep end."

Sheldon nodded. "Yes, well…Thank you for pulling me up. And also thank you for looking after me when I swallowed some water. Hopefully I won't die from chlorine poisoning"

"You're welcome, and I highly doubt you will, Sheldon. You didn't swallow enough." There was a brief silence until Amy cleared her throat. "Listen Sheldon…I'm really sorry that I upset you earlier. I just thought that you weren't ready to…You know, talk about marriage and stuff."

Sheldon didn't know what to say without giving the game away.

He still wasn't sure what to do, given Amy's reaction earlier.

"Well…" Was all he could say as he shrugged and looked away.

Amy just smiled sadly. "I knew you wouldn't want to. I know you were asking hypothetically, hence why I said what I said. Oh God…" She put her hands over her eyes.

Sheldon frowned. "What emotion is this?"

"Confusion, exasperation…Oh I don't know." Amy sighed.

"Why don't you try describing it?" Sheldon offered.

Amy stared at him, shocked that he actually wanted to hear what was bothering her.

She sighed.

"Oh Sheldon…I don't want to freak you out…"

"Try me."

Amy swallowed. "Okay…Well the thing is…I would give anything to marry you, Sheldon. I know you don't want to, and that when you asked earlier about marriage and kids and stuff that you were being hypothetical. I hope someday you get past your fears. I know I said it was too soon because we've only just got physical and intimate, but who am I kidding? I'd marry you in a heartbeat! I always come back to you; I always forgive you because I know you don't mean to hurt me; you don't know any different. But you've tried so hard and proven yourself. Oh God…I love you Sheldon. It's always been you."

Amy stopped speaking and sighed, not looking at her boyfriend.

The room was silent as a thousand thoughts ran through both of their minds.

Eventually it was Sheldon who spoke. "I see." He nodded. "Then why don't you?"

Amy frowned, looking at him. "Why don't I what?" She asked sadly.

The physicist swallowed and looked at the floor. "Why don't you marry me in a heartbeat?"

Amy snorted. "Funny."

"I fail to see the humor in this…Unless that's a thinly veiled no?" Sheldon said, quietly.

Amy stared at him. "Wait…You're being serious?"

"I'm always serious Amy."

"Y-You're asking me to marry you?"

The room was silent for a few more seconds.

Sheldon wordlessly moved over to the bedside table and took out the box.

He examined it for a moment, before coming to the decision to go for it.

He stood back in front of Amy and held out the box, opening it.

Amy gasped, completely stunned, and averted her stare back to Sheldon's eyes.

Sheldon gave a small, nervous smile. "Yes I am."

"Sheldon…When? How…?"

"Monday morning on your first day at work." Sheldon replied. "I snuck out while you were working and bought the ring then."

"How long have you known that you wanted to do this?" Amy asked.

"Amy, does it really matter how long I…"

"Sheldon, please tell me."

"Two years and four months." He replied.

"You've waited two years and four months to ask me?!" Amy cried.

"I was scared and obviously we hadn't been physical. There's no way you would have said yes to me." He admitted. "I only told you that I loved you on Friday, remember?"

"So…May I ask how long you've known that you loved me for?"

"Amy, what's with all the questions?"

"I need to know before I say yes."

"So…That's a yes?" Sheldon looked at her, hopefully.

"I don't know yet until you tell me," Amy smiled.

"Well, honestly…I've always known I loved you on some level. I just needed to come to terms with it myself." Sheldon answered truthfully.

Amy smiled, satisfied. "Okay…I think I have all I need to know…Now all that's left is to ask me properly."

"Uh…O-okay." Sheldon gingerly lowered himself onto one knee.

Amy did a little squeal and covered her mouth with her hands, bouncing up and down a little.

"Before I do this, do you need the bathroom?" Sheldon frowned as Amy bounced some more.

"No, no. Sorry…" She grinned, standing still.

Sheldon took a breath. "Amy…"

"Yes?"

"Will you…"

"YES!"

"Amy, I haven't finished asking yet. You know I hate not finishing things."

Amy burst into fits of giggles at this, and the realisation of what he had said hit Sheldon and he rolled his eyes, smirking a little.

"If I had known that having coitus with you would unleash a horde of dirty jokes and innuendoes into my mind, I may have thought twice before in engaging in it." Sheldon joked.

"Sheldon, we worked on the whole incompletion thing." Amy pointed out.

"I know, but this is one thing in particular I would like to finish doing." Sheldon said. "Now…Let me try again; Amy…Will you marry me?"

"YES!" Amy cried as she let Sheldon slip the ring on her finger and grabbed him into a tight hug.

Sheldon hugged her back. "I had planned to ask you on the beach."

"Maybe we could get married on a beach?" Amy grinned. "Wouldn't that be great?"

"Is that what you want?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes. That would be so pretty! A little archway thing, and pink and purple flowers…" Amy smiled, dreamily.

Sheldon nodded. "Alright." He agreed, "As long as I can wear shoes that will eliminate any chances of getting sand in them."

"Of course you can!" Amy laughed. "There's just something I need to do…One second." She sauntered over to the balcony doors and slid them open, walking out onto the balcony.

She reached the railings and jumped up and down, squealing excitedly, shouting out: "I'M ENGAGED!"

Sheldon frowned at her.

Amy's cries were heard from other rooms in the hotel, and the odd shout of "woohoo!" and "Congratulations!" could be heard in reply, as well as a piercing whistle and claps.

Amy grinned and returned to the room, sliding the doors shut.

"Finished?" Sheldon asked, trying not to laugh.

"Yep." Amy nodded, clearing her throat. "So yeah, beach wedding…"

"Okay." Sheldon nodded. "How's Saturday for you?"

Amy blinked. "_This _Saturday?!"

"Yes."

"But…What about the scheduling? You'll need things planned, won't you?" Amy asked.

"I'm surprised that you're even thinking of me when a wedding is ultimately more important for the bride." Sheldon smiled, "Honestly, I only need you there…Well, and a minister, obviously."

"Sheldon, Saturday is five days away. We can't fly everyone out by then!"

"Who says we have to?"

Amy stared at him. "O-Okay…So literally just us and the minister?"

"And Leonard and Penny, yes." Sheldon nodded. "We can have a proper celebration back home."

"Well…"

"Amy, I told you I would try for you. I am trying…You want a beach wedding, so let's have one!" Sheldon said.

"This is so unlike you." Amy frowned. "I mean…You need to schedule everything."

Sheldon snorted. "What have I scheduled since being in Florida? The tropical atmosphere seems to have exposed my inner Hippie."

Amy laughed.

"We'll get the hotel minister to do it; they always have one! We'll get rings and your pink and purple flowers, and Penny can take you shopping for a dress. Leonard can help me buy a tuxedo…" Sheldon added.

"So…You're serious about this?" Amy asked.

"As I said earlier; I'm serious about everything…Fiancée!" Sheldon smiled, and was rewarded by being leapt on by Amy, who knocked him backwards onto the bed, kissing him.

"You have no idea how lucky you're about to get!" Amy purred.

"I think I have some idea." Was Sheldon's response, as he pulled his now-fiancée back down for a kiss.

..

**A/N: So about the marriage thing…I LIED AGAIN! But I will promise you all right now; there will be ****NO**** Shamy baby in this fic. And I mean that! ;) Sorry. But thank you for the reviews and for reading. I actually had this planned all along. If you ever saw Meet The Fockers, I want the color scheme of The Shamy's wedding to be like theirs, except on the beach, not in a backyard or wherever it was. So kinda like 27 Dresses meets Meet The Fockers kind of thing? Yes, they're having a shotgun wedding/elope kind of thing. I know some people may not agree with this, but I had planned it for a while and felt that it worked with my story and where it was going, so…Yeah. Hope you liked this chapter; chapter 23 will be along shortly. No hate please, and thanks for reading and reviewing etc. :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Smut warning! Was suggested, so here it is ;) Enjoy…**

**..**

Amy was peppering Sheldon with kisses, as he unbuttoned her skirt and pulled it off, then resorting to removing his own pants and lifting his hips, letting his erection press against Amy's lower region.

Amy breathed erratically and ran her hands through his hair.

She removed her shirt and her underwear, pressing down on him almost fully naked.

Sheldon moaned and flipped Amy over so that he was now on top, and removed his underpants, rubbing his penis against Amy.

She pulled him closer and grabbed him, positioning him at her entrance.

"Wait." He mumbled through kisses, as he leaned back and grabbed a condom, taking it out of the foil and rolling it on, before returning to position and sliding himself inside Amy.

Amy rolled them both over again so that she was in charge.

"What are you doing?" Sheldon asked.

"Being in charge." Amy purred, leaning down to kiss Sheldon on the neck, giving him a playful nip as she did so.

She had him almost pinned to the bed, as she slowly rolled her hips over his.

Sheldon was trying to increase their speed, but Amy wasn't having any of it.

Grinding harder against him, she kept to her slow, steady pace, now almost feeling his full length inside her.

Biting his lip, Sheldon let out a moan.

He was currently feeling a mixture of torture and pleasure, silently wishing that Amy would speed up.

He soon regretted this though, as he felt orgasm approaching.

"Amy…I won't last!" He breathed.

Amy enveloped him even more, to the point where his entire length was completely inside her, and had found her hidden sensitive spot.

"Amy…" He panted, feeling as if he would let go any second.

He tried his best to hold it in.

Amy soon felt the familiar feeling of orgasm surging through her body, and breathed heavily.

Sheldon leaned up and took Amy's breast in his mouth, flicking his tongue against her nipple.

Amy cried out in pleasure.

"Oh God…Sheldon!"

She moaned loudly as she finally released.

Sheldon felt the wetness and couldn't hold back any longer as he came; pumping everything that he had into the condom.

The two of them panted for breath, collapsing into each other's arms.

Sheldon was sweating, as he looked down at the condom. "Wow!" He commented.

Amy said nothing, but raised an appreciative eyebrow.

"How was that for you?" She asked.

"I think the evidence speaks for itself." Sheldon replied. "How about you?"

"Same!"

Sheldon looked down, frowning and only then did he notice a wet patch on the sheets underneath Amy.

He snorted with laughter. "Oops."

"Do you want to get out of bed and change the sheets?" Amy asked.

Sheldon made a face. "Yes…Sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Amy reassured. "I'll call down to the front desk and ask for some fresh sheets."

"Amy, you can't tell them that we have…Love juices…On the bedsheets!" Sheldon protested.

"I won't." Amy replied, as she wandered into the kitchen, took her half-full cup of tea from earlier and tipped the remains onto the bedsheets.

Sheldon stared wide-eyed at her. "Amy!"

Amy replaced the mug to the kitchen as she dialled down to reception to ask for more bedsheets.

When she was done, she replaced the receiver and ended the call.

"They said they would be about 15 to 20 minutes." She replied.

"Okay…You do realize that you have been walking around naked, don't you?" Sheldon pointed out.

Amy looked down at herself. "Oh. Not until now. But you're naked too."

Sheldon looked down at himself and nodded. "So I am…And we have 15 to 20 minutes to spare. I say we take a shower."

"Okay." Amy nodded as she picked up a bathrobe and slipped it on, handing Sheldon the other one. "You go first."

"I meant…Together." He muttered in reply.

Amy didn't need asking twice; she brought hers and Sheldon's underwear and the bathrobes into the bathroom and locked the door.

They switched the shower on and stepped under the water, taking it in turns to wash each other.

Amy was washed second, and she was shocked when Sheldon hoisted her up against the wall, kissing her intensely, trying to gain access again.

"Wow! You have a lot in you!" Amy grinned.

"You have no idea." Was Sheldon's reply. "And this is a big night for us, so we deserve it!"

Amy nodded as her fiancé slipped himself in again.

They barely lasted ten minutes before they both orgasmed at the same time; the warm spray of the shower just increasing the heat of their lovemaking.

"That may be the cleanest coitus ever!" Sheldon commented as the couple stepped out of the shower and towelled themselves dry.

"Oh wait! The bedsheets!" Amy gasped.

She threw her underwear and bathrobe on, exiting the bathroom and making it to the door just as the night maid knocked.

"Hello! Sorry, I was in the shower." Amy greeted brightly, still feeling dazed from two rounds of coitus.

"Not a problem. Would you like me to make the bed for you?" The maid asked.

"Oh, no thank you. I'll do it, but thanks anyway." Amy smiled.

"It's no trouble. I can dispose of the stained sheets in my cart then." The maid smiled.

"Um…Okay, well thank you." Amy replied politely.

Sheldon stayed hidden in the bathroom.

Of course he was allowed to be staying there, but he thought it best if the maid didn't suspect anything if he came waltzing out of the bathroom too, right after Amy had said she had just been in the shower herself!

It seemed that Amy knew what he was thinking as she looked to the bathroom door and saw Sheldon peeking through the gap in the door.

Once the maid was finished, Amy tipped her and said thank you as she left with her cart.

Closing the door, Amy spun around to face Sheldon who bit his lip.

"That was close." He sighed with relief.

"I know! Now…When do we plan to tell Penny and Leonard about the wedding?" Amy asked.

"First thing tomorrow, I'd say." Sheldon replied. "We need to get things organized. I'll speak to the hotel minister tomorrow and see if he will conduct the ceremony for us."

Amy smiled and nodded.

"I can't believe we're going to get married…On a beach…In _Florida_!" She grinned broadly.

"In five days." Sheldon added, "What should we do about catering?"

"I don't know about you, but I'd kind of like to go to Ruby Tuesday's again!" Amy replied, "Their food was beautiful!"

"Noted." Sheldon answered, pushing a wet lock of Amy's hair out of her eyes. "It's ideal really; a beautiful meal for my beautiful woman."

He kissed her softly on the lips for a good minute or so.

"I'll arrange it tomorrow." He whispered.

"I feel bad that I have to work while you get everything prepared. I can't really have time off on my first week…It's a good job the stores close late and I finish at four, otherwise my chances of getting a dress in time would be zero!" Amy said.

"And it's a good job that I home-commute." Sheldon added. "It's not really busy at work anyway, so I don't have much to do. I'll have plenty of time."

"I might call Penny now and tell her." Amy decided. "Is that okay?"

"Of course." Sheldon nodded, giving Amy one final kiss before retreating to the kitchen to make some tea before bed.

Amy called Penny's number and waited.

"Hi bestie, were you asleep?"

"No, Leonard and I are in the bar still. What's up Ames?" Penny replied.

"We have a lot of preparation to do…" Amy replied, mysteriously.

"We do? Why?"

"Oh, Sheldon proposed…"

"He WHAT!?" Penny cried. "Oh my God, congratulations! Amy this is so great! Leonard, guess what? Sheldon asked Amy to marry him! When's the big day or don't you know yet?" Penny asked.

"Saturday."

"Huh? Y-you mean like _this _Saturday?"

"Yes. It's going to be a beach wedding…Just me, Sheldon, the minister and you and Leonard. Which reminds me…Will you be my maid of honor?" Amy asked.

"Amy, I'd love to! Aww, an intimate little ceremony. That is _so _you and Sheldon! We have some serious shopping to do before Saturday! Are you free after work tomorrow?" Penny questioned.

"Yes, I'm free." Amy replied.

"Excellent. Meet me at reception at five and we'll go to the stores…Oh boy do I have some ideas! We are so happy for you guys!" Penny squealed excitedly before ending the call.

"I've told Penny and Leonard." Amy called over to Sheldon.

"I know, he text me." Sheldon answered. "I've just asked him to be my best man."

"You _text _him that?"

"Well, you know I'm not comfortable with emotional conversations…Unless it's with you."

"Well, you're going to have to get used to it, my future husband!" Amy grinned, standing on tiptoes and kissing him.

"Alright, future wife, we'd better get to bed. We have an early morning." Sheldon replied, grinning and kissing Amy. "Lots of wedding preparation to be done!"


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! :) **

**..**

The next morning, Amy was getting ready for work when Sheldon joined her in the kitchen.

"We may be in a pickle here." He said.

Amy frowned. "Why?"

"We had intercourse twice yesterday."

"Yeah, so?"

"So was I protected both times?"

"Yes, you told me to wait and grabbed the condom packet. I saw you put it on." Amy replied.

"I said _both _times." Sheldon replied, "That was only once. Are you okay? Do you feel nauseated? Do you feel puffy?"

Amy stared at him. "No, but I feel suffocated."

"Oh I knew it!" Sheldon cried. "I'm so sorry, maybe we should go to the doctor and…"

"I mean I feel suffocated by the questions. Sheldon, I'm not pregnant…It's almost totally unlikely." Amy interrupted.

"_Almost_!?"

Amy rolled her eyes and sighed. "Okay…It's _not_ likely."

"How can you be sure? I wasn't protected the second time and I ejaculated inside you…"

Amy took off her work blazer, slightly annoyed.

"Please don't hit me." Sheldon ducked away.

"Why would I hit you?" Amy frowned.

"You took off your jacket. I've come to understand that that either means you're hot or you're removing restrictive clothing before giving someone a beating." Sheldon replied.

"I was going to show you something…"

"That's exactly what Missy used to say!"

"Sheldon, come here. I'm not going to hit you, I promise."

Sheldon inched closer to Amy, who had her arm outstretched.

"What am I looking at?" He asked.

"Feel there." Amy ran her hand along the top of her arm.

Sheldon followed her lead, and instantly recoiled, yelping. "What _was_ that!? Are you hosting a parasite under your skin?"

Amy snorted with laughter. "It's the contraceptive implant, genius!"

Sheldon just blinked at her. "Oh…And when you say 'contraceptive', you definitely mean it?"

"Yep. My mother insisted that I got it as soon as they introduced it. I've been having it renewed every three years like it instructs. The best thing about it, is I don't have to risk forgetting to take it like I might with the pill, or forget my appointment like I might with the injection…It stays in my arm for three years until I get it changed." Amy responded.

"So I didn't really need to use condoms?" Sheldon asked.

"Well, technically no. But I'd prefer if you did. A one-off won't hurt." Amy replied.

"I prefer having coitus with a condom anyway. It feels safer…And cleaner...And just all-round better!" Sheldon agreed. "Although I'm not denying that unprotected shower sex with you was amazing!"

"Definitely!" Amy grinned, leaning in to kiss him. "So no more worrying, okay? We're safe. If it makes you feel better, I'll get the morning after pill on the way to work just to reassure you…Okay?"

"Okay, thank you." Sheldon nodded, as the two of them kissed goodbye.

"Have a good day at work." He called out.

"Thanks; have a good day at home-commute and wedding planning!" Amy replied. "I am meeting Penny at five to go shopping, so I will spend some more time with you tonight."

"I look forward to it!" Sheldon replied as Amy closed the door.

..

Amy all but ran to reception to meet Penny after work.

She had had a brilliant day at work helping to use the dolphin neurobiological therapies and techniques on Soleil, and was walking on air.

As soon as she bumped into Penny in the hotel lobby, her best friend grinned.

"Hello bride to be!" Penny wrapped her in a hug.

Amy leaned back and frowned. "Your voice sounds funny."

"Oh yeah, I caught a little cold." Penny replied. "Nothing major. Just a bit nasal."

Amy jumped back and covered her mouth and nose.

"Oh no, Sheldon's rubbed off on you in non-sexual ways too." Penny commented.

"No, it's nothing like that. I just can't risk getting sick before my wedding." Amy replied in a muffled voice.

"Amy, I've had this cold for a couple days; it gets worse right before it gets better. It's practically almost gone. If you were going to catch it, you would have by now." Penny answered.

"Really?"

"Yeah, probably."

"Hmm okay… But I'm buying some of that First Defence stuff." Amy replied as she uncovered her face and walked out into the street with Penny. "So, what were your ideas?"

"Well, wouldn't it be really romantic if we bought a load of little tealight candles from Yankee Candle, and used those as the outline for the aisle for your beach wedding? Then you and Sheldon could be married as the sun is setting, and dimly lit by little candles." Penny suggested.

Amy's eyes flew wide. "That's an excellent idea! Oh, you're the perfect Maid of Honor, bestie! So what else?"

"I'd need to know your color scheme before I suggest anything else." Penny replied, as she popped a sore throat hard candy into her mouth. "But I wanna do your hair and makeup…Beach style!"

"I love the sound of beach style! Okay, so my color scheme is pink and lilac…Did you ever see the sequel to Meet the Parents?" Amy asked.

"Uh…The one where they got married or the one where they had two kids?"

"Where they got married, obviously."

"I _loved _that movie!" Penny grinned.

"Yeah, remember the suit that Robert De Niro was wearing? The light lilac-gray color?"

"You want Sheldon to wear that? That would look so nice!"

"Leonard has to wear it too. But yeah, I want that color, and pink and white." Amy answered as they entered the mall and wandered into the Yankee Candle store to browse through their choices.

"Does Sheldon mind?" Penny asked, "You know what he's like with this kind of thing."

"No, he wanted me to have the wedding exactly the way I want it! But of course, I'll make it so that everything meets his needs too." Amy replied. "Everything has to be exactly in place and clean and running smoothly...And Sheldon-approved."

"Aww, you guys are so made for each other!" Penny swooned, with a dreamy look on her face.

Amy smiled, as she picked up a sample of the Beach Walk candle and compared it to the Pink Sands candle. "I like both of these." She decided as dropped them in the basket.

"So…You never really told me how it is with Sheldon…You know." Penny lowered her voice.

Amy swallowed. "Um…You mean the s-e-x, right?"

"Of course I mean that." Penny whispered. "How is he? Fussy?... Efficient? Does he know where everything goes and what it does?"

"Of course he does! And honestly? He's amazing; we have a very healthy sex life now." Amy replied in a low voice.

Penny widened her eyes. "Whoa, wait…When you say 'healthy', does that mean you've had it every day since he arrived?"

"Pretty much." Amy admitted.

"Wow…And he's really that good?"

"Oh, he's better than good!"

"Oh…wow, go Sheldon!" Penny looked genuinely shocked. "So has he made you…You know?"

"Every… single… time!"

"Lucky you! It took Leonard a while, but…wow! Sheldon really does excel at everything!"

"Ohhh, he really does!" Amy nodded, as they selected a few sets of tealights in the scents that Amy had chosen and made their way to the checkout.

After they had paid and walked out of the door, Penny looked around the surrounding stores and took Amy's arm. "Right, now for my favorite part…Shoes!"


	25. Chapter 25

"Oh for goodness sake, how hard is it to find a damn harpist!" Sheldon slammed the hotel phone down in frustration after being turned down by yet another musician.

"Whoa, language!" Leonard joked, "Why do you want a harpist?"

"Amy plays the harp…She likes harp music…So it's only fitting that we have one at the wedding." Sheldon replied.

He had called Leonard to help him that day, and whilst the girls were out shopping, they were trying to find a musician, but none of them seemed to like being asked on such short notice and had other bookings for Saturday.

The hotel minister had happily agreed to conduct the service on Saturday, and had commented that the beach was the perfect place, and even offered the hotel's gardens as the place to celebrate afterwards.

Sheldon had changed his mind from Ruby Tuesday's being the caterers, to the hotel kitchen.

Being a five star hotel, the food was amongst the best he had eaten, so he had decided upon them over the restaurant, and would use the garden.

"They do realise they're only catering for four people, right?" Leonard had asked.

"Did you not hear my phone call?" Sheldon had replied; "I stated it twice, and they said that it wasn't a problem. They are honored to have a highly regarded neurobiologist staying with them with her highly regarded theoretical physicist boyfriend…Well, fiancé."

"Yeah, no I heard that part." Leonard replied, faintly irritated.

Now, Sheldon was saying: "We have the venues, the caterers, the minister…Now we only need rings, music and suits."

"_Only!?_"

"Yes Leonard. It's not a big ceremony so we don't need much. Just each other, really."

"Oh, but Sheldon…You're forgetting the bachelor party!" Leonard grinned, devilishly.

"Oh…I don't think so. I'm not a drinker, you know that." Sheldon protested.

"Okay, well what would you like to do for your last night of freedom?"

"Well, I'd like to make love to my fiancée."

Leonard stared at him. "Wow…Never thought I'd hear that from you!" He grinned, "You stud, you!"

He clapped Sheldon on the shoulder.

Sheldon flinched.

"Please refrain from hitting me, and I'm not so sure about the 'stud' part!" He said.

"No, that's right…You said 'make love'!" Leonard grinned, pulling his phone out of his pocket and playing the whip sound app.

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "Oh good God." He muttered.

..

"How about these?" Penny pointed to a pair of six inch silver heels on display.

Amy spluttered. "I'd never be able to walk in those! Especially on the beach!"

"Hmm, you're right." Penny moved along and was about to point out a lower heeled pair of white shoes, when she heard Amy gasp.

"These are perfect!" She exclaimed, taking a pair of shoes off the display in her size.

Penny wandered over and let out a gasp of her own. "Oh Amy, those are perfect for a beach wedding!"

Amy had found a pair of white jewelled sandals with a wedge heel.

The jewels were silver in colour, and the sandals were similar to flip-flops with the toe post.

Amy tried them on and was surprised at how comfortable they were.

"These are beautiful." Amy gasped.

She took them off and glanced at the price tag. "$40."

"How about if I wear a pair of plain white flip flops with beads or sequins on?" Penny suggested.

"Sure, that'll look pretty." Amy smiled.

Penny picked up a pair of plain white flip flops in her size, with light pink beads on the toe post.

The two women paid for the shoes and made their way to a dress store.

Penny picked out a polyester tight-fit, short light lilac bridesmaid dress with Amy's approval, but Amy was struggling to find the perfect dress.

They browsed all of the rails, but Amy couldn't find one that she really liked that would also suit the beach wedding theme.

She sighed. "This is pointless. I'll never find one."

"There are other dress stores; we can look there." Penny reassured.

They paid for Penny's bridesmaid dress and as they entered another store, Amy gasped and ran towards one of the mannequins.

"This is perfect!" She said.

The dress was a designer white cotton maxi dress with a halterneck and jewelled empire waist that matched the shoes perfectly.

Amy found the dress in her size on the rail and tried it on. She was pleased that her short height meant that the dress reached floor length like a wedding dress should.

She pulled the curtain back, and let Penny see her dress.

"Amy, you look beautiful! Try it with the shoes." Penny handed Amy her wedge sandals, and as she put them on, she was thrilled that the dress was still floor-length, even with the wedges, but it gave her some height at least.

"So pretty!" Penny complimented. "Perfect for a beach wedding…Oh I am so jealous!"

Amy smiled.

"You know what you need? A tiara!" Penny exclaimed.

"I already have one." Amy replied.

"Yeah but isn't that in your apartment back home?"

"Um…Not exactly." Amy admitted, "I brought it with me to remind me of Sheldon…Obviously I had no idea he'd come after me though!"

"Aww! You should totally wear the tiara Sheldon gave you, and I will give you beach waves in your hair!" Penny replied.

"I'd love that." Amy answered. "Now, I'm going to change back into my clothes and pay for this, get his wedding ring and then I'm done until Friday when I need to buy flowers and makeup. Then tonight we can all go for dinner and celebrate!"

..

"I got it!" Sheldon cried out, triumphantly.

Leonard stared at his friend as they walked down the street, and Sheldon ended a call on his cell phone.

"Okay, so it's not a harpist…I know this is Florida and not Hawaii, but we have a Ukulele player." Sheldon explained.

"That's great!" Leonard grinned.

Penny and Amy had texted the guys earlier about their dinner plans that evening, and the color scheme and theme of the wedding, and Sheldon and Leonard had ended up going out to buy the suits, shoes and Amy's ring.

"I think she would have preferred the harp." Sheldon said, as they sat on a bench to wait for the girls.

"Yes, but there's only the four of us, and it's a beach wedding. Harp wouldn't have fit into the theme." Leonard replied.

"Hmm you're right."

"You okay Sheldon?"

"Just nervous…Am I doing the right thing?" Sheldon asked.

Leonard frowned. "Uh oh…You can't get cold feet now! Think of it this way: do you love Amy?"

"Of course I love Amy!"

"Do you see yourself spending the rest of your life with her?"

Sheldon blinked. "Yes, I do. I really, really do." He admitted. "That's not what I'm nervous about."

"Then what is it?" Leonard asked.

"I'm more worried about me being marriage material." Sheldon confessed, "I want to marry Amy more than anything, but I keep letting her down. I don't want to hurt her or risk getting a divorce. What if we end up having children? That wouldn't be healthy for them. I wouldn't want them to go back and forth between their mother and father's separate houses."

Leonard's eyes widened. "You think about having kids with Amy?"

"I think about lots of things, Leonard. I'm not saying I want children right now, because there is no way I want children at the moment! But my main concern is hurting Amy. She's going to be my wife…I've upset her enough in the past, and I don't want to do it again."

"Sheldon…That's a risk you're going to have to take. Couples argue and hurt each other all the time, but they don't mean to. You and Amy found your way back together and are stronger than before. You've come such a long way…I think you're ready." Leonard comforted. "Especially if your main worry about getting married is whether or not you hurt your wife…Or your future family."

Sheldon nodded.

"Seriously Sheldon, you two are meant to be together." Leonard finished. "You're doing the right thing."

Sheldon nodded again and smiled. "I do love her." He said quietly.

"I know you do…Now, enough of the girly chat. What's the sex like?" Leonard asked, mischievously.

"I can't tell you that!" Sheldon retorted, eyes wide. "That's personal!"

"Oh come on you stallion!" Leonard joked. "Spill."

"It's very enjoyable." Sheldon replied, awkwardly.

"Uh oh…" Leonard replied, "Is that bad?"

"Oh no, not bad at all! That woman has a way with me, Leonard. I don't know what it is, but she really excels in the bedroom, and makes me erupt like a volcano!" Sheldon said, "I never knew that I could emit such a large quantity of…Well…You know."

Leonard frowned. "Um, okay…That's _really _gross, but good for you!"

"Is it meant to feel that good?" Sheldon asked in a hushed voice.

"How good?" Leonard queried.

"Well…When I'm having intercourse with Amy, I feel this mixture between torture and extreme pleasure; I have to carry on or I feel like I'm going to die, and then I just can't hold on any more."

"Wow…" Leonard replied. "You've got it goooood!"

Sheldon grinned a little smugly. "Oh yes I have!"

"You do know that extremely heightened, almost torturous pleasure during sex could also make your 'guys' more active and more likely to fertilise an egg?" Leonard said.

"Of course I knew that, but I won't be needing fertility for a long time." Sheldon reassured. "We both use contraception anyway so that I don't get her pregnant or anything."

"Ah good!" Leonard nodded.

At that moment, they looked up at the sound of voices approaching them.

It was Penny and Amy.

The guys stood up and kissed their girlfriends in greeting, before making their way to the restaurant.

"Come on, let's go to dinner and celebrate!" Penny grinned excitedly.

"Won't it be weird?" Amy said, looking up at Sheldon. "We'll both be Dr Cooper!"

Sheldon grinned. "I know; I can't wait! Also, confusing the mailman will certainly be amusing!"


	26. Chapter 26

Friday rolled around and Amy hurried out of work, excited for the next day.

One of her work colleagues who was amazing at photography, had offered to be their photographer on Saturday, and Amy had called Sheldon at lunch to see if he minded, and he happily agreed.

It was all systems go now!

Amy met Penny in the lobby and the two of them hurried to the florist's.

"What are you looking for to go in your bouquet?" Penny asked as they walked into the door.

"Pink Lillies." Amy replied. "But with some purple and white flowers in there too."

"Hmm…" Penny frowned as she browsed the aisle behind Amy, and spotted some deep purple orchids next to some soft, pastel purple lilacs. "Hey Ames! Come over here; I think I found something!"

Amy located the hot pink Lillies and selected a few, before meeting Penny on the other side.

Penny pointed out what she had found.

"Oh I love them. Those are perfect!" Amy smiled as she picked some of each. "Now just for some white…"

"What about these white spray roses?" Penny suggested as she moved over a little, and found spray roses in all different colors.

"Perfect!" Amy breathed. "Could you grab those for me please? I don't have enough hands."

"Sure." Penny took a few, and they moved over to the desk, where the assistant had just come out from the back.

"Oh! I'm sorry to keep you, ladies! Do you need any help, or have you found what you were looking for?" The older woman smiled politely.

"We've found them, thank you." Amy replied, as she and Penny carefully laid the flowers on the desk. "These are for a bridal bouquet…I'm getting married tomorrow." Amy's heart leapt a little as she said this.

"Congratulations!" The older woman grinned, as she trimmed the stems of the flowers evenly. "What color ribbon would you like around these?"

"Pink please. Like the lillies."

The lady cut her ribbon expertly, and tied it around the stems of the flowers. "Do you have corsages for the men and bouquets for the bridesmaids?"

"Oh crap, I almost forgot!" Amy gasped. "I'll be right back."

She rushed to grab some more flowers and returned to the desk.

"So…The roses, lilacs and orchids for Penny's bouquet, and the Lillies for the corsages." Amy decided. "Sheldon will have the biggest Lilly on his button though, because he's the groom."

"Excellent choice." Penny smiled.

As the woman prepared the bridesmaid bouquet and buttonholes, Amy took out her card.

She paid for the flowers, and scribbled down the instructions for keeping the flowers fresh overnight, before thanking the woman and exiting the store with Penny.

"Well, that's it. That's everything!" Amy exhaled. "This time tomorrow, I'll be walking down the aisle!"

"I can't believe it." Penny replied, linking arms with her friend. "I'm so excited!"

At that moment, Penny's phone rang.

Fishing it out of her pocket, she answered; "Hello? Oh hey sweetie…Don't worry, I won't let Amy see Sheldon before tomorrow…What? What do you mean he's gone?!"

Amy's heart dropped and her vision blurred as a lump rose in her throat.

She felt herself stumble, and held onto Penny for support as her breathing quickened.

"Leonard, I have to go. Amy's having a panic attack! If you find Sheldon, tell him I'll kill him!" Penny hung up.

Amy was hyperventilating, so Penny guided her to a bench and gave her a paper bag to breathe into as she rubbed her back.

Once Amy regained her breath, she spoke.

"How-How could he do this to me!?" She wept. "The wedding is tomorrow! If he couldn't handle it, then why the hell did he propose in the first place?"

"Amy, I'm so sorry. Leonard said that he went to the bathroom, and by the time he came back, Sheldon had gone." Penny said. "But we're going to find him…Oh, I'll find him if it kills me!"

"Well, I mean…Did he leave a note or anything?" Amy asked.

"No." Penny shook her head, regretfully.

Amy sighed and shook her head. "I should have known that this would happen. Why did I say yes? Why do I love him, Penny?" She burst into tears, and Penny hugged her tight.

"Come on, let's go somewhere quiet." Penny whispered, as she linked arms with Amy and walked her towards the beach.

"I can't be here." Amy shook her head tearfully, "this is where our wedding was supposed to be!"

"I know sweetie, but the sea air might do you some good. Come on, sit with me." Penny sat on the sand, her arm around Amy comfortingly.

It was getting dark now, and nobody was around.

All they could hear was the distant sound of cars on the roads, and the lapping of the waves against the shore.

Amy took a deep breath.

"I gave him everything." She wept. "Literally _everything_!"

"I know you did sweetie," Penny consoled, "but for all we know, he could have just gone for a breather before the wedding, just to calm his nerves. Maybe we're overreacting…"

"Shh!" Amy hissed suddenly. "Do you hear that?"

The two girls heard an engine coming closer, and turned around.

A little further along the beach, a small truck was driving down the sand.

It came to a stop a little way in front of the sea before being stopped and the engine shut off.

Two men climbed out of the front and closed the doors; their voices could only slightly be heard.

"We're too far away to hear." Amy frowned.

"I wonder what they're doing… Maybe night fishing?" Penny said. She turned to Amy. "Want to go and see? It might take your mind off things."

"Sure." Amy shrugged, half-heartedly.

The two men had their backs turned to Amy and Penny as they snuck along the beach towards the truck, and hid behind a large cluster of rocks.

They could hear the voices much clearer now.

"Thanks for doing this, Bill."

"You're welcome, sonny." Replied a heavy Southern accent, "Where do you want her?"

Amy and Penny stared at each other wide-eyed.

"Oh my God…They have a woman in there!" Amy whispered.

"It better not be a dead one!" Penny gulped.

They listened further.

"We could plant her here I guess…I'm coming back tomorrow afternoon. Good job the beach is closed off; nobody will come and interfere." The first voice was saying now.

"Okay. Help me dig a hole in the ground." The Southern voice replied.

The girls had heard enough.

"NO! We heard you...You can't bury a body on the beach! We'll call the cops, you sick bastards!" Penny cried.

The two men spun around in shock.

"A body?" The Southern man laughed. "Are you insane?"

Amy squinted at the other man. "Sheldon!"

"Amy, you're not meant to be here! You're meant to be with Penny!"

"I _am _with Penny. Leonard called and said you high-tailed it! You were going to ditch me the night before our wedding! How could you? I gave you _everything _Sheldon!" She cried.

"Don't be absurd! Why would I run out on you the night before our wedding?" Sheldon looked hurt. "I told Leonard where I was going in the note."

"Ha! Leonard said there _was_ no note!" Penny countered.

"It was stuck to the fridge with the pineapple magnet. How could he miss that?" Sheldon frowned.

The Southern man had now moved round to the back of the truck and was making a noise.

"Then what are you doing here if you're not running out on me?" Amy asked.

"I can't say." Sheldon replied.

At that moment, the Southern guy pulled out something large and white from the truck.

"Bill!" Sheldon hissed. "I told you Amy isn't supposed to see this!"

"Sorry pal, I do have other things to do today. Where d'you want her?" Bill replied.

Amy blinked. "Is that an ornate archway?"

Sheldon sighed. "It was meant to be a surprise…I bought it and was going to put it up tonight so that it was ready for tomorrow. We're supposed to get married underneath it."

"So…You really _weren't _running out on me?"

"Of course not. Why would I do that?"

Amy looked dumbstruck, and Penny shifted guiltily.

"Oh my God…Sheldon, I'm so sorry! It's just that Leonard called and said you made a run for it, so we thought the worst…" Amy said. "I'm really sorry."

Sheldon hugged her. "It's okay. I don't blame you…I blame Leonard."

Penny took out her phone and moved it around until she finally got a signal and a message from Leonard that was sent twenty minutes earlier:

_Sorry, false alarm. I found his note on the fridge. Panic stations aborted. Love you xxx_

"Hmm…I blame Leonard too." Penny muttered, pocketing her phone. "We got the bouquet and the buttonholes by the way; we should give the corsages to you now. DON'T lose them!"

"Yes mom!" Sheldon rolled his eyes, muttering.

She opened the bag and gave Sheldon the two pink Lilly buttonhole flowers, transferring them into the paper bag that she had given Amy to breathe in. "Here you go. Yours is the big one."

Sheldon took the bag of flowers delicately, putting them safely in his satchel. "Thank you…I'm going to look like such a girl."

Amy laughed. "You do anyway, but it's okay because I love you." She kissed him.

"I love you too…And next time, please have a little more faith in me." Sheldon smiled as he kissed her in return.

"I will…Again, I'm sorry." Amy answered.

"Don't worry about it," Sheldon smiled. "Now run along! I'm sleeping in Leonard and Penny's room tonight so you two are bunking in our suite."

The girls squealed excitedly as they hurried up the beach back to the hotel.

Sheldon wandered over to help Bill put the archway up, when he paused and turned around.

"Amy!" He called out.

Amy spun around. "Yes?"

"I'll see you tomorrow…_Mrs_ Dr Cooper!"


	27. Chapter 27

"Amy, wake up!"

Amy groaned and rolled over, opening her eyes.

"Oh…Uh good morning Penny." She mumbled.

"It's your wedding day!" Penny grinned, "It's 9:30 and we have so much to do before this evening!"

"Oh I think we can afford to waste a little time at least." Amy replied, stretching.

"Maybe an hour." Penny replied, moving over to the kitchen. "How's your stomach?"

Amy frowned. "It's fine…Why?"

"So no feeling sick with nerves? No butterflies?"

Amy shook her head. "No."

"Great! Because I'm such a good friend and maid of honor, I got up early to make you these from scratch!" Penny smiled, holding out a plate of appealing-looking pastries that made Amy's mouth water.

"Wow! Thank you Penny." Amy smiled as she made her way over to the kitchen table.

"You've got raisin and apple swirls, cinnamon swirls, croissants…And, I prepared some fruit for you!" Penny replied.

"This is amazing." Amy said, shocked but grateful. "Thank you so much Penny."

"You're welcome. Dig in!"

Amy took an apple and raisin swirl and some fruit, tucking in appreciatively.

Penny selected a cinnamon swirl and paired it with some grapes and strawberries.

"This is fantastic! I had no idea you could cook so well?" Amy commented.

Penny just winked.

Once they had finished with breakfast, Penny insisted that she would clear up whilst Amy showered.

Amy stepped into the shower and let the warm water wash over her, as she shampooed her hair with the professional products that Penny had brought upstairs with her.

A big grin spread across Amy's face.

_I'm getting married today!_

..

"Sheldon?" Leonard called out.

Sheldon stepped out from the bathroom in his normal daytime clothes, his hair wet and his entire body smelling of talc.

He had a piece of paper in his hand that he was frowning at.

"Yes?" He replied, not taking his gaze away from the paper he was consulting.

"Did you have enough for breakfast or do you want some more?" Leonard asked.

"I had enough, thank you." Sheldon replied, taking a deep breath and folding the paper, pocketing it.

"Aren't you going to style your hair?" Leonard asked.

Sheldon looked at his friend like he was insane. "Why on earth would I do that?"

"You know…Mix it up a little? Just for the day…It is your wedding day, after all."

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "My barber is not here. Therefore I'll stick to my usual style, thank you."

"I can do it for you." Leonard insisted.

Sheldon let out a snort. "Really? Do you think I'm going to let you put as much product in my hair as you do in yours?"

Leonard frowned a little, and ran a hand self-consciously through his hair.

He hadn't even touched it yet!

"I have to admit Leonard; I prefer your old hairstyle." Sheldon said. "I'll let you do my hair if you make yours the way it used to be."

"Fine." Leonard agreed with a sigh.

He wandered over to his toiletry bag and pulled out his normal razor, plugging it in to charge, and took out the accompanying hair clippers.

Leonard plugged them in and began to shave the overgrown parts of his hair, until he looked like his old self again, tousling his hair into place.

He switched the clippers off and looked expectantly at Sheldon.

Sheldon's face twitched a bit.

"Well…I did it. You have no excuse now. Come on…Let me style your hair." Leonard said, mischievously.

"Curses." Sheldon muttered. "I didn't think you'd do it."

"Suck it up Sheldon. Come on, sit here." Leonard pulled out the chair at the dresser and Sheldon gingerly sat down.

Leonard picked up his hair wax and put some onto his fingers.

"Trust me, okay?"

"Just do it." Sheldon closed his eyes.

Leonard began to run the wax through Sheldon's hair and Sheldon could feel him pulling at his short strands.

"What exactly are you doing?" He dared to ask.

"I'm done!" Leonard declared, "See for yourself."

Sheldon took a deep breath and opened his eyes to look into the mirror.

He was pleasantly shocked at his appearance.

Leonard had tousled Sheldon's hair a little, and it looked effortlessly cool.

"Not bad!" He nodded, "I look like a college kid, but I think I can pull it off as a one-off. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Leonard replied. "Don't shave by the way."

Sheldon almost had a heart attack. "W-what!?"

"You heard."

"Ohhh no, Leonard Hofstadter! I need to shave…I haven't shaved in two days! I can already feel stubble on my face!"

"You want to know something? Amy was telling Penny that she's seen you with stubble before and thought it was hot." Leonard said.

"She did?" Sheldon frowned. "Why on earth would she think facial hair was hot?"

"I don't know. She just does…Penny's the same, but stubble doesn't suit me, even though she insists it does..." Leonard replied.

"Leonard, please. I didn't ask for your life story."

"Sorry…Honestly, leave it there. Imagine how hot Amy will find you; that will get her motor running, and think of the sex you'll get tonight!"

Sheldon considered this. "Hmm…Alright, you've convinced me. I suppose it's only a tiny bit of stubble anyway. I'm shaving tomorrow regardless!"

"Fair enough." Leonard answered. "And hey…You're getting married today!" He grinned.

Sheldon smiled. "I know. Who'd have thought it?"

"Right, we have until five thirty when we need to leave, and we have to check that everything is prepared while the girls get ready!" Leonard smiled. "Come on."

..

That evening, Penny put her eyeshadow brush down, and leaned back to admire her handiwork.

She took out the mascara and brushed a few layers on Amy's long lashes, before she was finished.

"Okay, what do you think?" Penny said, spinning Amy's chair around to face the mirror.

Amy gasped. "I look beautiful…For once! Thank you Penny." She smiled.

"You always look beautiful." Penny replied, "But you're very welcome."

Amy's foundation was flawless; she had light dustings of bronzer on her face, giving her a natural glow, and a light blusher on her cheeks.

Her eyes were outlined in a smoky grey, and her eyeshadow was a beautiful shade of lilac, with black lashes. Penny had finished Amy's look with a natural coloured lipstick.

Amy's hair was curled and piled on top her head behind her tiara, with a few loose curls framing her face.

Penny had loosely curled her hair, and had on a very light pink eyeshadow with mascara and the same grey eyeliner.

"Okay, put your dress on; it's almost time!" Penny grinned, ushering Amy to the bathroom with her dress and shoes.

Penny slipped on her bridesmaid dress and shoes, and Amy walked out of the bathroom moments later in her floor-length white dress, and lifted up the dress to show Penny the shoes.

Penny's eyes welled up. "You look beautiful, Ames." She took a tissue and tried to stop herself from crying. "Oh, I almost forgot…"

Penny rummaged in the purse she had brought up with her, and took out a little box.

She opened it to reveal a pretty dainty blue starfish on a silver necklace. "This is your 'something borrowed'. And it's blue and I got it last year, so it's kind of old. Everything else you have, apart from the tiara, is new, so now you're all set."

Amy hugged her friend and picked up her bouquet, as Penny picked her own up, and the emergency purse containing a camera, two water bottles, band aids, painkillers, tissues, card keys for her own room and Amy's room, and emergency hand sanitizer for Sheldon.

Amy quickly ate a breath mint as they left the hotel room and headed for the beach.

..

Sheldon was standing underneath the archway with Leonard next to him and the minister.

Sheldon was fiddling with his tie nervously.

"Do you have the rings?" He asked Leonard.

"Yes." Leonard patted his jacket pocket that contained the ring pillow with both rings tied onto it.

Sheldon nodded. "Does this lilac-gray color even look good on me?"

"It looks great Sheldon, I promise."

"Well it works with you, but does it work with me? Should I go change?"

"Shh! They're almost here." Leonard said, as he spotted Amy and Penny in the distance, through his glasses.

"Oh God…Okay. We need to light all the candles along this boardwalk. He took the lighter that he had bought for the candles out of his pocket, and Leonard copied him as they lit the candles then stood back.

"Those smell good." Leonard commented. "Very citrus-y!"

Sheldon just nodded.

The ukulele player started playing as soon as Amy and Penny came into view.

Sheldon had requested that the ukulele player play his own version of 'The Way You Look Tonight' as Amy walked down the makeshift aisle, after remembering that Amy had wanted it played at Bernadette and Howard's wedding.

Amy's colleague, the photographer, was snapping photos of Amy and Penny walking down the candlelit boardwalk.

Sheldon smiled at her widely.

Something that Leonard and Penny had never seen, and were genuinely shocked by.

Amy reached him, and gave Penny her bouquet, as Sheldon took both of her hands.

"Dearly beloved, we gather tonight on this beautiful beach to celebrate the marriage and eternal love between Amy Farrah Fowler and Sheldon Lee Cooper.

Amy and Sheldon; I remind you that marriage is a precious gift, a lifelong commitment, and a challenge to love one another more completely each and every day.

Please join hands and look into each other's eyes."

Sheldon and Amy kept their hands joined and looked into each other's eyes.

The minister continued:

"Sheldon Cooper, with this understanding, do you take Amy Fowler to be your wedded wife to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others and to be faithful only to her, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Sheldon said.

"Amy Fowler, with this understanding, do you take Sheldon Cooper to be your wedded husband, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others and to be faithful only to him, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Amy said.

"May I have the rings please?" The minister asked.

Leonard stepped forward and handed over the ring pillow.

Untying the rings, the minister continued on:

"The ring, an unbroken, never-ending circle, is a symbol of committed, unending love.

Sheldon, as you place this ring on Amy's finger, repeat these words after me: This ring, a gift for you, symbolizes my desire that you be my wife from this day forward. As this ring has no end, neither shall my love for you."

Sheldon repeated after him as he slid the ring onto Amy's finger.

Turning to Amy, the minister spoke.

"Amy, as you place this ring on Sheldon's finger, repeat these words after me: This ring, a gift for you, symbolizes my desire that you be my husband from this day forward. As this ring has no end, neither shall my love for you."

Amy repeated after him and placed the ring on Sheldon's finger.

"Amy and Sheldon, you have committed yourselves to each other in marriage by the exchanging of vows, and by the giving of rings. With the authority vested in me by the state of Florida, and with great joy, I now pronounce you husband and wife. May you live together in blissful happiness from this day forward…YOU MAY SEAL YOUR VOWS WITH A KISS!"

Sheldon and Amy leaned in to kiss each other lovingly, as Penny, Leonard, the minister and ukulele player applauded.

The photographer snapped photos of the kiss, and then Penny handed the bouquet back to Amy as she and Sheldon held hands and led Penny and Leonard back down the candlelit boardwalk to the uke playing again.

As the group made their way to the hotel gardens, Sheldon squeezed Amy's hand, and she looked up at him.

"I hope that this is everything you wanted." Sheldon whispered.

"It's so much more." Amy replied, grinning widely, as she stood on tiptoes and kissed her husband.

"I love you Amy Cooper." He said, "You made me a better man."

..

**A/N: That's it for the wedding. It's done; finito! Now for the consummation…Oh yes! ;) Hope this didn't have you all reaching for the Kleenex too much. Reviews would be greatly appreciated (but be kind please!) Thanks for reading. Chapter 28 will be along soon! **


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! So glad you enjoyed it :) Some major smut in this chapter; you have been warned! Grab a fan; this is gonna get hot…**

**..**

Sheldon and Amy were standing in the gazebo in the hotel gardens after the food had been finished, with the speakers playing a slow song, holding each other and swaying to the music.

Leonard and Penny were stood by the side of the gazebo, with Penny taking pictures, along with the photographer whilst Amy and Sheldon had their first dance.

"You know…I taught him those moves." Leonard said, matter-of-factly.

Penny smiled. "Oh really? I hope those were the only moves you taught him, because Amy tells me that Sheldon's quite the expert in bed!"

Leonard gave Penny a weird look. "Trust me…The dancing was _all _I taught him! And I bet Sheldon won't be too pleased to hear that."

Penny shrugged. "It comes with the territory sweetie; you lose your virginity…Your friends find out!"

"Yeah, but this is Sheldon we're talking about. He likes his personal life to be kept just that; personal!" Leonard countered.

"They have to consummate their marriage tonight." Penny was saying now. "I wonder how he'll perform then?"

"Really!?" Leonard frowned.

"Oh come on! Like Sheldon hasn't discussed his sex life with you!"

Leonard shifted uncomfortably. "Little bit."

Penny smiled and shook her head. "Aww, don't they look so happy?"

"They do." Leonard nodded, "I never thought I'd see Sheldon be happy over anything that wasn't physics, Star Trek or Kripke announcing that he wants to leave the university!"

"Kripke is leaving?"

"We wish!" Leonard snorted.

..

As the dance came to an end, there were a couple more songs before the small group got tired and wanted to sit down with the music playing softly in the background.

"Thank you for being here with us." Amy smiled to her friends.

"You're welcome…To Amy and Sheldon Cooper!" Penny held her glass up, clinking it with everyone else's. "I hope you have a long and happy life together."

The newlyweds smiled and took their sips of Champagne.

Sheldon was drinking it, much to everyone's surprise…In fact, he seemed to be having more than they expected!

"Are you okay?" Amy whispered.

"Of course I am." Sheldon replied, slurring a tiny bit.

"You're not regretting this already…are you?" Amy looked hurt.

"I could never regret marrying you." Sheldon reassured, truthfully as he planted a kiss on his wife's lips.

"We're gonna head off now guys. Do you mind?" Leonard said.

"Not at all. Thank you for everything." Sheldon replied, as the group said goodbye and Leonard and Penny headed upstairs.

"Do you want to dance again before we go back inside?" Sheldon asked.

"Sure." Amy got to her feet, and took Sheldon's hand.

She could smell the champagne on him, and was growing concerned. "Sheldon…Are you sure you're okay?" She asked as they danced.

Sheldon sighed. "I'm nervous."

"Why? The wedding is over…We're married now." Amy answered.

"Amy…We need to…you know, consummate our marriage."

"Sheldon, we've had sex plenty of times now. We know what we're doing."

"Of course, but because we've had coitus so many times, I need to make this one special. It is our wedding night after all…I need to make it a coital session that we'll never forget!"

Amy smiled. "Is that why you've been drinking so much Champagne?"

"I had three glasses. I'd hardly call that 'too much.'" Sheldon replied.

"You're teetotal. Three glasses is over your limit as far as you're concerned." Amy answered, giggling.

"I only did it to calm my nerves. Leonard said it works." Sheldon whispered.

"Just try anything you think might work. I won't know any different." Amy reasoned "All you need to do is touch me, and my loins are on fire."

Sheldon grinned. "Well then little lady, hold on to your hat." He said, exaggerating his Southern accent, "You're in for the best lovemaking session of your life!"

..

As the newlyweds made their way up to their room and unlocked the door, Sheldon stopped Amy.

"I believe tradition states that I need to carry you over the threshold." He said.

"Hmm…Then go ahead, Dr Cooper!" Amy purred.

Sheldon went to lift Amy up, but couldn't work out how to do it.

"Uh…How do I do this?"

"Hold your arms out like this." Amy demonstrated, and Sheldon copied her.

"Now, slide your arms under my back and my legs, and lift me."

Sheldon did as he was told, and managed to lift Amy up and carry her into the room, shutting the door with his foot.

He carried Amy to the bed and sat her down gently.

"Alone at last." He said, seating himself beside her.

Their lips met, and they kissed passionately, before breaking apart.

"Let me get ready." Amy whispered as she got to her feet to use the bathroom and clean up a little.

Sheldon got up and found that the hotel staff must have been into their suite and sprinkled rose petals on the bed whilst the wedding was under way.

As he took off his tie and jacket and placed them neatly over the chair, he spotted a bottle of expensive-looking wine was sat in an ice bucket on a trolley, and a bowl of strawberries dipped in chocolate were next to it, along with a tin of mints and a card saying 'Congratulations on your marriage'.

Sheldon smiled.

He also detected a hint of some sweet, scented room spray in the air.

Amy stepped out of the bathroom, placing the tiara on the table and letting her hair loose so that the curls tumbled over her shoulders.

"They've sprayed an aphrodisiac spray in here," Sheldon said, clearing his throat. "I think we both know what that means."

Amy nodded. "To heighten our sexual desires."

Sheldon looked uncomfortable and nervous again.

Amy slipped off her shoes and placed them neatly underneath one of the chairs.

"So…" Sheldon said, swallowing. "Wine?"

Amy could tell that he was nervous again, so she approached him with a passionate kiss, seeking permission to insert her tongue.

Granting her permission, Sheldon ran his tongue along hers, gently, as their lips melted together.

Amy was unbuttoning his shirt now, as she ran her manicured nails lightly down his chest and stomach, stopping just above his pant button.

Hearing the breath catch in her husband's throat, Amy looked up at him.

Sheldon returned her gaze with his big, blue eyes and swallowed heavily.

"It's okay," Amy reassured him, "It's just like the other times, only better!"

Sheldon licked his lips and kissed Amy again, reaching around the back of her dress to unzip it all the way down.

As the dress fell to the floor, Amy stepped out of it and Sheldon looked her up and down, appreciating the soft pink lacy French panties that she was wearing, and the matching bra.

Amy worked on unbuttoning and unzipping Sheldon's pants until he was just stood in his underwear.

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Boxers? I thought you were a briefs man?"

"I changed my mind." Sheldon said simply, "there's a lot more room in these."

Nodding, the neurobiologist moved to lay on the bed in a suggestive pose.

"Well come on then, Cowboy. Your ride is waiting!" She said in a beckoning voice.

Sheldon didn't need asking twice.

He rolled over and leaned over her, positioning himself at her entrance and thrusting himself in.

Amy tilted her hips upwards and allowed him to take her, pulling himself nearly fully out and then pushing back in hard, repeatedly.

The sensation was driving Amy wild, and she pulled his head down to explore her breast with his tongue.

Amy had positioned her mouth to Sheldon's earlobe and was nibbling it, and kissing his neck, sucking on the skin.

Sheldon quickened his pace, thrusting in deeper, and pulling out nearly all the way again.

His wife's breathing had quickened and she felt the orgasm approaching.

"Allow me to try something?" Sheldon requested, and with Amy's nod of approval, he slipped one hand down and using one finger, he found her clitoris, and aroused it, whilst still penetrating her hard, causing Amy's arousal to intensify even more.

Amy was now moaning loudly, biting her lip until she couldn't take any more. "Oh God…Sheldon!" She cried out, as she released intensely.

Sheldon didn't stop there; he continued until Amy had climaxed two more times, before finally being unable to control himself any longer; crying out her name, and came in a rush, pumping into her and trying to regain his breath.

Amy was too stunned to speak, so she just concentrated on regulating her breathing, as Sheldon kissed her deeply.

"I…I hope that I satisfied my woman enough on our wedding night?" He panted.

"Oh yes…More than ever." Amy nodded, deliriously. "That was amazing…Well; you're always amazing, but _that_…Where did you learn that?"

"I didn't learn it. I just tried some things out like you said I should do." Sheldon replied.

He withdrew his penis, and placed his hand on the side of Amy's face as they kissed passionately.

"Wait! What about our other friends and families?" Amy asked, "When do we tell them?"

"Tomorrow." Sheldon replied. "But tonight, you're all mine, my wife."


	29. Chapter 29

Sheldon and Amy had ended up having sex three times that night, with Sheldon totally pounding Amy by the final round, causing her to climax an impressive four times before losing control himself and pumping everything he had left into her, before collapsing next to Amy on the bed.

They were both gasping for breath, boiling hot and sweating.

"May…Maybe we…we should…shower." Sheldon suggested.

"Good plan." Amy agreed, throwing back the covers to air them, and getting to her feet.

Her legs felt like jelly, and she could barely walk.

Amy stumbled and fell, with Sheldon just catching her.

"Sea legs?" He asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe." Amy replied.

"Well…We did do it three times, and the last time I may have been a little rough."

"You totally annihilated me!" Amy laughed.

They slowly made their way into the bathroom and switched on the shower.

Stepping in together, they let the water wash over them as they stood naked together under the warm stream.

A now-flaccid Sheldon took Amy by the waist and held her close, resting his cheek on top of her hair with Amy wrapping her own arms around him and snuggling into his chest.

"Mmm," she sighed, contentedly as Sheldon smiled.

So far, married life was perfect!

..

Sheldon took a deep breath as he and Amy sat at the table, waiting for the laptop to start up so they could Skype their other friends and tell them the next morning.

They had woken up late that Sunday, after staying up late consummating their marriage!

They accessed Skype and found that Howard was online.

Clicking on his icon, Sheldon and Amy waited as the dial tone sounded.

Moments later, he answered.

"Hey Sheldon! You found Amy then? We haven't heard anything all week, and we were worried!"

"You were?" Sheldon frowned.

"Well yeah…As much of a crazy, annoying b…Uh, person as you are, you're still our friend." Howard said.

"Hi Sheldon!" Said Bernadette's voice as she came into view. "Amy hi! How are you?" She grinned.

"I'm great thanks, how are you?" Amy replied.

"We're great too. Raj is here having lunch with us! Where are Penny and Leonard?"

"They're in their own room I guess." Amy replied.

"Yes, and if you two hens are done clucking, Amy and I have some news." Sheldon interrupted.

"Oh sure, go ahead…" Howard smiled as he and Bernadette waited, with Raj quietly joining them and appearing on the screen.

"Amy and I are married." Sheldon confessed.

Their three friends stared at the screen, blinking in disbelief.

"What?" Howard asked. "Since when? You've only been there over a week…"

"Yesterday…Well, yesterday evening to be exact."

"What!? Why didn't you tell us? Why weren't we invited?!" Raj asked as he sipped his light beer.

"It was last minute, and we wanted to get married as soon as possible." Sheldon replied. "We're having a proper celebration when we return to California. Of course you will all be invited. It was no big deal; just us, Leonard, Penny and the minister."

"We had a ukulele player and photographer though. So the photos will be on Facebook as soon as he sends them to me." Amy added. "We're sorry, it's just…we had to marry as soon as possible. It felt right."

"As long as you guys are happy, it's fine by us. That, and as long as we're invited to the big celebration!" Howard grinned.

"Congratulations!" He, Bernadette and Raj chorused.

The friends conversed for a while longer, before ending the Skype call.

Sheldon and Amy exhaled, and looked at each other.

"Well that went better than expected!" Amy said.

"Thank God." Sheldon added. "Now…We have other matters to attend to!" He cast a seductive glance at Amy, who stared wide-eyed.

"I don't think I can go again!" She protested.

"Oh, that's a shame…" Sheldon replied, pressing up against her, and lowering his hand to pleasure Amy.

Seeing that his plan was working, which was made evident by Amy's erratic breaths, he looked at her, hinting.

"Oh screw it!" Amy decided, taking her husband's face in her hands, and kissing him as she led him to the bed.

..

Amy's cell phone rang, and frowning, she pulled it out of her lab coat pocket.

"Hello?"

"Happy one month anniversary!" Sheldon said down the phone. "How's work going?"

"Uh…It's okay." Amy replied, uncertainly. "You?"

"It's going good thank you; I have just fired off an email containing my latest theories. I really think I'm that much closer to proving string theory!"

Amy could hear the excitement in his voice, and smiled. "Great."

"Amy, is everything alright?" Sheldon asked. "You sound…Unhappy?"

"No, no…I'm fine. Just stressed that's all." Amy reassured.

"Oh I'm sorry." Sheldon replied, "How about I take you for dinner tonight? To celebrate a month of marriage…And maybe afterwards, we can retire to our room and make love."

Amy smiled. "I'd love that, thank you Sheldon." She replied.

"Excellent; I'll wear a suit, and you can wear one of your beautiful dresses, and I will buy you dinner." Sheldon said, excitedly. "Shall we say seven O'clock?"

"Sure, and thank you. I love you Sheldon."

"I love you too Amy. See you later." Sheldon ended the call, smiling.

Back in the marine biology facility, Amy sighed.

At least dinner was something to look forward to, now that Penny and Leonard had returned home to Pasadena!

..

Sheldon sat at the table in their favourite Ruby Tuesday restaurant, glancing at his watch.

He was expecting Amy at seven; it was now 6:58 and he was worried.

At that moment, Amy hurried into the hotel, flustered.

She seated herself at the table. "I'm sorry." She mumbled, but was silenced by Sheldon kissing her.

"It's okay; you're here now with two minutes to spare." Sheldon smiled. "Are you still stressed?"

"Um…Yeah." Amy replied, noncommittally.

Sheldon leaned forward, frowning as he took her hand. "Amy…?"

"I…" Amy tried, but couldn't finish.

"Is it me?" Sheldon asked. "I'm sorry if I've upset you in any way."

"No, you haven't. Oh God, I just…I have a problem."

"Amy, you're my wife. Your problems are my problems…Please tell me." He looked so concerned, and a little hurt, that it tore Amy a little.

"I'm late." She blurted.

"Oh Amy, you weren't late, you had two minutes to go until you would have been just on time! Don't worry…"

"No, no…I'm _late…_"

"Amy, I don't know what you mean. If you don't mean that you were late tonight, then what are you referring to?" Sheldon asked.

Amy sighed, looking uncomfortable. "My period…Is late."

Sheldon blinked, his mouth falling open. "W-What?" He stammered. "But…How? You have a contraceptive implant. Y-you said you'd get the morning after pill…"

"And I did." Amy nodded, "But that was one time. I thought the implant would work."

"But…We use condoms." Sheldon shook his head.

Amy bit her lip. "Not on our wedding night." She whispered.

Sheldon's eyes widened. "How could I have forgotten that? Oh God…Three times!" He put his head in his hands, his breathing quickening.

"Sheldon…If it is what I think it is, then I will deal with it." Amy promised.

"Deal with it? What are you talking about?

"I'll have a termination."

"What? No!" Sheldon replied, without thinking.

Amy frowned. "What? You w_ant _a child?"

Sheldon's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish before he spoke. "No…I don't know…Maybe." He looked down at the floor, closing his eyes.

Amy's heart sank. "Sheldon, I'm not ready for this. Marriage is one thing, but children…? I'm not there yet. I have this amazing job, and I have only four months left. You're so close to proving string theory, and we're great where we are…I can't…I don't want to ruin this so soon."

Sheldon nodded. "You're right. I just…"

He took Amy's hand again. "If it is…And terminating it is what you want, then I'll…I'm coming with you."

"Thank you." Amy sighed with relief.

"But…You need to take a test, just to be sure." Sheldon said.

Amy nodded. "We can do it together. I'll get one on the way home tonight."

"Okay…Let's uh, try to have a good evening here." Sheldon said, in a slightly choked voice.

They chose their meals and ordered from the waiter, trying to act as if everything was okay.

..

Back in the suite later that night, Sheldon sat on the bed, terrified.

Amy was currently taking the test in the bathroom, and he heard her flush the toilet and then heard running water in the sink where Amy was washing her hands.

As she emerged, she looked pale.

She sat on the bed next to Sheldon, and he took her hand whilst she held the test in her other hand.

They waited in silence for three minutes, until Amy took a deep, ragged breath as she flipped the test over.

Their eyes both widened.

"Negative." Amy breathed. "Thank God." She turned to hug Sheldon, and he closed his arms around her, closing his eyes.

"Yeah…Thank God." Sheldon replied, feeling oddly disheartened.

He pushed it aside.

"From now on, we use precautions, no matter what." He added.

"Agreed!" Amy nodded. "Thank you for being so great about this." She kissed him lovingly, and stood up to dispose of the stick.

Sheldon still felt strangely disheartened, and he frowned.

_What is happening to me?! _


	30. Chapter 30

Amy had taken the next day off work.

During the night she had horrible cramps in her stomach and had been sick in the morning.

Sheldon was working at his laptop, but kept glancing over, frowning.

He had been taking care of Amy all morning, making sure that she was comfortable and had enough liquids and bland food.

He had even rubbed Vapo Rub on her chest just in case.

Now she was resting on the bed, reading.

Sheldon kept darting glances her way.

_Negative…What if it was wrong?_ _Why am I hoping it was?_

Amy caught him staring, and smiled.

Sheldon smiled back, embarrassed that she'd caught him staring.

He bit his lip, before turning around again. "I think you should take another one." He blurted out.

"I'm not pregnant, honey." She said softly. "Honestly. It's probably food poisoning."

"Honey?"

"Sorry…Term of endearment. I won't say it if you don't like it."

"No, no. It's fine…Darling."

Amy smiled at Sheldon's attempt. She rather liked being called 'darling', especially with that sexy Southern accent of his that made itself apparent when he said it.

"You can't have food poisoning." Sheldon was saying now, "We both had the same thing for dinner."

"So?"

"So if it was that, then I'd be affected, and I feel fine…ish."

Amy frowned. "Ish?"

"I'm worried about you." Sheldon admitted. "I mean, what if the test was wrong and you _are _with child?"

"With child?" Amy laughed, "Sheldon, this is 2013, not 1900. You are allowed to use modern phrases…Fine. I'll take another one."

Sheldon wrinkled his nose. "Actually…Couldn't we see a doctor? They'll check for other things too, and will be more efficient."

Amy shrugged. "Okay. I'll give them a call now." She rummaged in the drawer next to her for the doctor's number nearby that she and Sheldon had registered at for their time in Florida.

Dialling the number, Amy waited.

"Hi there, my name is Amy Cooper…I registered under the name of Amy Farrah Fowler, but I got married out here, did you get my updated details?...Oh you did? That's great! Anyway, could I make an appointment as soon as possible please?"

She and Sheldon waited silently.

"Yeah, I've been having stomach cramps and I was sick once this morning…I took a pregnancy test but it was negative, only my husband and I think I should take another to be sure…Really? That's great. See you then; thanks." Amy ended the call.

"So what did they say?" Sheldon asked.

"I'm going there at two; they had a cancellation."

Sheldon just nodded in reply.

..

After Amy and Sheldon arrived at the doctor's office that afternoon, they had taken a urine sample, a same-day blood test and had performed an ultrasound scan.

As the results were brought back into the office, the doctor smiled. "Well, you're definitely not pregnant Amy. It's a simple case of heat stroke, by the look of things. Your blood test is totally clear of anything bad, although your iron is a little low."

Amy breathed a sigh of relief.

Sheldon just sat in silence.

"I'll be right back, please excuse me." The doctor said, as he stood up and left the room.

Amy looked to Sheldon. "Thank God for that."

"Hmm yeah. Thank God." Sheldon nodded.

"Are you okay?" Amy frowned.

"I'm fine." Sheldon replied, "Absolutely fine. In fact I'm so fine that I'm going to give you a once-only fist bump."

He held out his hand in a clenched fist, waiting for Amy to bump fists with him.

"Um…Sheldon? I'm your wife. Wouldn't a kiss suffice? Fist-bumping is more a friends-only thing." Amy frowned.

"Oh, of course. Sorry." Sheldon leaned in to kiss Amy. "I'm just, you know, so relieved!"

Amy stared at him. "Really? What's really wrong, Sheldon?"

He knew then that lying to her would get him nowhere; Amy was too smart to believe him.

"Well…I'm not sure. It's the strangest thing…" Sheldon began.

"What is?" Amy pressed.

"Well, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of having a baby with you one day. I know now isn't the right time, but it still disappointed me a little that you're not pregnant…I'm sorry. I know it sounds ridiculous, especially coming from…Well, me." Sheldon confessed. "I mean, we talked about in vitro fertilisation in the beginning of our relationship to produce an intelligent offspring. Not once did I think that I'd actually almost come close to having a progeny with you."

Amy stared at him; she couldn't believe that this was coming out of Sheldon Cooper's mouth!

Even after the confession of love, the sex, the marriage…She never once thought that Sheldon was truly that serious about her, as she was with him.

Amy blinked. "Wow…" She whispered. "I-I don't know what to say…"

"I want more time with you before we consider even trying for a child." Sheldon added. "But…As you know, I hate when things are incomplete or unfinished; and it seemed for a while that it was possible that you were in fact pregnant, and now it's definite that you're not, it feels strange. That something that was never even there could have such a huge effect on me and now it's gone and I'm left feeling…"

Amy, who was still in shock over her husband's words, swallowed. "Feeling what?"

Sheldon looked up, looking genuinely confused. "I guess…Incomplete."

Amy wrapped him in a hug then. "I had no idea." She said, "I really had no idea that you would ever want this."

"Honestly, neither did I."

Amy held Sheldon tighter, and that was how the doctor found them when he returned with some anti-emetic tablets for Amy's heat stroke, and the iron tablets to regulate her iron levels.

..

The next day, Amy was feeling much better, and had gone back to work.

Sheldon still felt strange and was struggling on an equation.

His Skype tone sounded, and he looked up to see 'Leonard is calling you' on the screen.

Feeling a sudden need to talk, Sheldon accepted and waited for Skype to connect.

"Hey Sheldon!" Leonard smiled through the screen. "How are you?"

"Hello Leonard…Oh, not bad. You?"

"I'm great! We had a Mexican themed night at Raj's again. He made us some amazing food!" Leonard replied.

"Oh no. Don't tell me that evil Priya is back?"

"No, no…Just Raj. Although he got drunk and his parents Skyped him."

"Oh dear. I bet that was awkward?" Sheldon made a face.

"For him yes. For us, it was hilarious!" Leonard grinned. "We're missing Florida, and you guys…Wow I never thought I'd say that!"

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "I suppose we miss yours and Penny's presence too."

"Really?" Leonard frowned. "What's the matter?"

Sheldon explained everything, and Leonard looked genuinely shocked.

"Wow! Who would have thought it? Sheldon Cooper wants to be a daddy!" He said.

"Not right now, obviously." Sheldon replied, "And I am not certain yet, but I wouldn't rule out the idea of making a baby with Amy."

"Ew." Leonard grimaced, "Could you not just say _having _a baby?!"

"I could, but we both know that the best part would be the actual conception." Sheldon said in reply.

Leonard laughed. "That's something I never thought I'd hear from you!"

Sheldon shrugged.

"Hmm…But I see your point. It must be hard." Leonard sympathised.

"A little, I suppose." Sheldon nodded. "It's such a strange feeling. I mean, having a child is a huge thing, and I'm busy with my physics, and Amy's busy with her neurobiology…We're in crucial points of our careers at the moment and a baby would complicate things, but maybe a year or two down the line…I wouldn't totally object to it. What is happening to me?!"

"You're in love Sheldon." Leonard answered, simply. "Love does crazy things to people."

"I'm surprised that it hasn't affected my work!" Sheldon commented. "If anything, that was what I was most afraid of…That I'd become stupid like Penny."

"Hey!" Was Penny's voice in the background of Leonard's window.

"Oh, no offense Penny. But you're just not a genius like Leonard and myself." Sheldon called out.

He heard Penny sigh and mutter in the background, and was pretty sure that he heard her call him an ass under her breath.

"Penny heard our conversation?!" Sheldon hissed over the microphone.

"Uh…Not all of it." Leonard replied. "She came in just as you called her stupid."

"Oh…Good." Sheldon breathed.

Leonard frowned at this.

He knew what Sheldon meant, but there was no point in correcting him, so he stayed quiet.

"Well, I'm glad you're being a big boy now." Leonard said, "When the time is right, you'll know. I have to go now Sheldon; I'm taking Penny out for the day. Have a nice day!"

"You too. Thanks for the advice." Sheldon replied as he ended the call.

He returned to his work with Leonard's words swimming around in his head.

_When the time is right, you'll know…_

"Well when will that be!?" Sheldon muttered.

His eyes widened in shock.

He needed to stop thinking about this!

He saved his work and grabbed his card key, phone, wallet and some water before getting ready and heading out of the hotel room and outside.

Sheldon needed a long walk by the sea to gather his thoughts!


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I'd really appreciate some more ;) But be gentle please! **

**..**

Sheldon kicked a pebble down the sand as he trudged along the beach.

He was thinking hard, and gazed out across the sea as he reached the spot where ha and Amy had married a month earlier.

He smiled, remembering their big day.

The sun beat down on his body, as he continued to think about the feelings he was experiencing.

He attempted to use Kohlinar, but it didn't work.

Hearing voices, Sheldon spun around.

Running down the beach, was a little girl and a small dog.

The girl was laughing, her light brown hair flying out behind her as she and the dog ran side by side, playfully.

Her parents were not far behind, calling out to her: "Alicia, be careful! Don't go too far!"

Alicia tripped over on a pebble and fell forward.

Sheldon hurried over to help her up. "Oh my! Are you okay?" He asked.

The girl began to cry, and Sheldon spotted a graze on her knee that was bleeding.

He helped her to sit up, and bent down to her level. "I have emergency supplies on me at all times; please let me help you."

The little girl nodded, just as her parents jogged over.

Sheldon looked up. "Forgive my intrusion. Would you mind if I helped your daughter? I always carry wet wipes and band aids on me."

"Oh thank you!" The mother smiled. "That would be a great help; I didn't bring anything with me."

Sheldon rummaged in his pocket for his travel wet wipes and took one from the packet, placing the wipe gently on the girl's knee.

Her mom and dad were knelt down beside her, arms around her shoulders and soothing her.

"This won't hurt a bit." Sheldon was saying now, as he tossed aside the wet wipe, and smoothed the band aid over the cut. "There you go." He said, smiling.

"Thank you sir." The little girl said, hugging him.

Sheldon accepted the hug awkwardly.

"Thank you so much." Her mom was saying now.

"That's no trouble at all." Sheldon smiled.

"Are you a doctor?" The father asked.

"Yes, but not the kind you're thinking of." Sheldon replied. "I have a PhD in Theoretical Physics."

"Wow! I'm a biologist myself." The father was now saying; "I work at the Dolphin Neurobiology facility just up there." He pointed to Amy's workplace. "I took the day off to celebrate my daughter's birthday."

"Oh, well happy birthday!" Sheldon smiled at the little girl.

Alicia smiled. "Thank you sir."

"If you work at the facility, then you must know my wife? Amy Cooper. She started there last month; she's temporary." Sheldon inquired.

"As a matter of fact, I do!" The man replied. "She's wonderful at her job, and a lovely person. You must be Sheldon?"

Sheldon nodded. "I am."

"Amy speaks of you a lot. She thinks the world of you!"

Sheldon smiled, proudly.

"And congratulations on your wedding last month. Will you be having children next?" The man asked, as Alicia and her mother chased the dog along the beach, hand in hand.

Sheldon spotted them, and pictured Amy running along the beach with their own little girl; her dark hair flying out behind her.

He swallowed. "I think so, yes."

The man smiled. "Children really are a blessing. Would you believe that I once used to believe that science was the be-all and end-all of everything? I thought that love was pointless and that children would ruin my life and my work. Then I met Emily…She changed me. And so has Alicia." The man was beaming now, staring at his wife and daughter.

Sheldon stared at him, astounded.

It was almost like he was looking at himself in the future!

"I used to be the same until recently." Sheldon admitted, "Amy is changing me. It feels so strange to experience all of these feelings and emotions. At first I tried to push them away, but…I just couldn't. Then I realized that I was in love."

"You and I are the same, Sheldon." The man was saying. "Perhaps you and Amy would like to meet for a drink soon?"

"Well, I don't drink alcohol except for special occasions, but I understand that you are referring to the social convention of 'meeting up for a drink'?" Sheldon asked.

"I used to be the same! It's amazing…I never thought I'd meet anyone like me! And yes, I mean the social convention." The man smiled.

"We'd love to." Sheldon accepted.

"Great! I'll swap numbers and give you a call." The man smiled, as he and Sheldon exchanged phones to type their numbers in, before returning them.

"I'm David Renson, by the way." He held out his hand, which Sheldon apprehensively shook.

"Sheldon Cooper."

"I'll speak to you soon Sheldon…And remember; a child will change your life for the better." David smiled as he walked away, re-joining his family.

Sheldon watched them walk away, holding hands with each other and the little dog skipping beside them, and nodded silently, making a decision.

..

That weekend, Sheldon still wasn't his normal self.

Amy noticed that he was almost _too _interested in having sex with her.

Every time, he wanted to go unprotected, but Amy insisted upon Sheldon wearing a condom every time now.

He was acting so strange and so sad, that Amy was growing concerned.

"Sheldon, are you sure you're okay?" She asked.

"Of course." He insisted.

"Remember that we're having drinks with David and Emily tonight." Amy reminded him.

"I always remember." Sheldon replied.

Amy bit her lip, and rummaged in a drawer, before heading to the bathroom.

Moments later, Amy returned, dressed in a black negligee.

Sheldon caught sight of her, and his eyes widened.

"You like, Dr Cooper?" She purred.

He swallowed. "I like very much!"

Amy sauntered sexily towards him, and took his hand, leading him to the bed, pushing him backwards and straddling his lap, and kissing him feverishly.

"When did you get that?" Sheldon asked, nodding at the negligee.

"I paid a visit to Victoria's Secret after work yesterday." Amy replied, fiddling with Sheldon's belt and unbuckling it.

Sheldon leaned up, grazing Amy's lips with his, and pulled her head down for a full kiss.

Amy had totally removed his pants now, and was rubbing his erection through his underwear.

Sighing with arousal, Sheldon pulled his own underwear off, and lifted Amy on top of him so that he was inside her, thrusting in and out.

"Um…Sheldon?"

He looked up at Amy.

"Condom?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh…Of course." He said, half-heartedly, withdrawing and finding a condom, taking it out of the foil and rolling it on.

He re-positioned himself and pushed his length in again, as Amy took off the negligee and exposing her naked body.

"Your turn." She breathed, pulling Sheldon's shirts off over his head as he rocked Amy back and forth by her hips on top of him.

Amy leaned down and kissed Sheldon's neck and nibbled his earlobe, before she leaned up on her knees, and moved up and down so that Sheldon's erection was almost all the way out, and then down again so that she engulfed him completely.

That drove him wild.

"Oh Lord Amy…" He breathed, "That's so good!" He was moaning loudly now, as he felt himself getting close.

Amy was also moaning loudly, and Sheldon felt her tighten as she released, triggering Sheldon's own release; pumping into the condom before coming to a total stop, regaining his breath.

"Oh wow…Amy…" He breathed, pulling her down for a kiss, before moving his mouth to her breast, and flicking his tongue against his nipple, lowering his hand to pleasure her.

"Sheldon, I've already…"

"Shh, please let me…" Sheldon silenced her, as he rubbed a finger against her wetness, feeling her come again.

Drawing his hand away, Sheldon wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her. "Thank you."

"What for?" Amy asked.

"For the coitus."

"Oh, you're welcome. Did it cheer you up?"

"Sort of…" Sheldon said.

"Only 'sort of'?" Amy asked, sadly.

"Only because I still feel a little disappointed about…Well."

"Oh Sheldon." Amy looked at him sympathetically. "We will one day."

She got up to change and clean up, as Sheldon took off his condom, tying up the end and disposing of it in the trash.

Once Amy returned from cleaning herself up, Sheldon blurted out: "What if we get a dog first?"

Amy stared at him. "A dog?"

"Yes. A small dog...Big ones scare me! "

"But, why a dog?"

"Because if we can deal with the demands of a small dog, then we can know if we're ready for a baby."

"But Sheldon…The dog will need feeding, space for its own bed, you need to clean up the dog poop and taking for walks…" Amy frowned.

"Yes…Much like a…"

"Like a baby." Amy nodded. "You have a good point. But we'll have to wait until we get back to Pasadena; we can't very well keep the dog here."

"But that's 3 months and three weeks away! I can clear it with the hotel staff. I'm working from here, so I'll have time to look after it. Plus, dogs are easy to fly inter-state." Sheldon said. "If it goes well…Then maybe we can…"

Amy smiled. "Okay. Let's do it!"

Sheldon grinned and hugged his wife. "Great! I love you Amy!"

"I love you too." She replied, hugging him tighter.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Thank you again for the reviews! :) I did notice that I made some very minor typos, and because I'm actually very Sheldon-like with a lot of things, when I found the typos I totally freaked out and wanted to re-type the entire chapter! (But resisted – somehow!) So I just wanted to clear up that I definitely do not need a Beta or anything; the typos were total accidents, and I can in fact string together a sentence and spell properly haha! :P But again, thank you for your lovely reviews!**

**..**

Sheldon had run down to reception that evening and asked to speak with the hotel manager.

As the manager appeared, Sheldon straightened up.

"How can I help you, sir?" The manager asked.

"Hello. My name is Dr Sheldon Cooper, and I'm in the Mermaid Suite with my wife Amy. I just wanted to ask you if you minded us keeping our new dog in the suite. Now, it's only a small dog, and of course we will clean up after it ourselves…"

"Oh…We had no idea that you even had a dog?" The manager frowned.

"We don't yet." Sheldon replied, "You see, we are trying to find out whether or not we are ready for a child, and we thought that if we could deal with the demands of a dog, then a child would be no problem."

The manager blinked. "Well, that's a very sensible idea, Dr Cooper. We don't normally allow dogs in this hotel, unless they are for the visually impaired…"

"I completely understand that. However…If you could just make this one exception, I will give you…Fourteen dollars and twenty five cents." Sheldon interrupted, rummaging in his wallet for all his loose change, and planting it on the desk. "I would give you more, but I haven't had a chance to withdraw any more yet."

"I was going to say, normally we don't allow dogs in this hotel…_However…_In this one instance, we'll make an exception, as your wife and yourself are our most esteemed guests in this hotel." The manager said.

It was Sheldon's turn to blink in surprise now. "Oh. I-I'm an esteemed guest? Usually nobody wants me around!"

"Well, Dr Cooper, you and your wife are very well-known names in the science world."

"We are?"

"Yes." The manager turned around and pointed to a picture frame behind him.

Sheldon leaned closer to peer at the frame.

Inside, was a full-page article on Sheldon and Amy staying at the hotel, and going on to explain about their progress in their respective fields.

Sheldon was speechless for a few moments.

He spun around excitedly. "LOOK EVERYONE, I'M IN A NEWSPAPER!"

A few people in the lobby turned to look at him, and a couple even wandered over to read the article.

Sheldon was grinning widely now.

"Oh, and thank you so much for allowing us to keep the dog in our suite!" He said to the manager, and was about to race back to the room, but not before spinning around; "Please keep that money. I don't need it!"

And with that, he had run to the elevator.

..

"I am so excited for our evening with David and Emily." Amy grinned. "David is always kind to me at work; I never met Emily, but I hope we get along."

"I'm sure you will. You're women; you'll be talking about rainbows, unicorns and menstrual cycles all night." Sheldon said, trying to decide what tie to wear.

Amy shot him a withering look. "We do not talk about rainbows and unicorns Sheldon. Not over the age of five, anyway!"

"But you talk about your menses?"

Amy shifted uncomfortably. "Well…We need to check if everything is normal. What better way to do so than talking to your fellow woman?"

Sheldon frowned. "Interesting…Men don't suffer with menses, so what personal issues should we discuss? Penile size comparison?"

Amy looked up with a raised eyebrow, and saw that Sheldon's expression was deadly serious. "No Sheldon, that is _not_ what you should talk about…Besides, that wouldn't be fair anyway; you'd win hands down!"

The physicist gave a small but still smug smile to himself.

"Just talk about normal things." Amy shrugged.

"Okay…What would be considered 'normal'?" Sheldon asked.

"Oh wow. You've been without other men for so long that you have forgotten all of your social convention lessons." Amy sighed.

Sheldon shot her a hurt look, and Amy felt bad. "Okay, well try talking about work or your interests, and try not to be too weird."

"I can do that." Sheldon nodded.

Once the couple were ready, they grabbed their belongings and left the suite.

..

"BEST…NIGHT…EVER!" Sheldon announced loudly, as they returned to their room that night.

"Shh!" Amy hushed him. "It's nearly midnight."

"Thank God tomorrow is Sunday." Sheldon replied.

That evening, David and Emily had found a babysitter for Alicia whilst they met Sheldon and Amy.

The four of them had gotten along so well, that they arranged to meet the next weekend for lunch, too.

David had introduced Sheldon to light beer, and now Amy was regretting that.

"Sheldon, maybe we should go to bed." She suggested.

"Good idea, coitus might sober me up. You're such a clever lady Amy. I love you." He slurred.

"I love you too, Sheldon. But I didn't mean that we should have sex. I meant that you should go to sleep." Amy giggled.

"Where's the fun in that? I'm wide awake!" Sheldon protested, kicking his shoes off and almost hitting the fan in the process.

Amy snorted with laughter, and clamped a hand to her mouth to suppress any more.

"Come on, you!" She laughed.

"You want to do _what_ to me?" Sheldon asked, "You want to come on me? Well okay…"

"SHELDON, NO!" Amy cried out. "That's not what I meant."

"Ohhhh…" He pouted, throwing himself onto the couch, and then falling straight back off.

Rolling her eyes, Amy helped him up.

"Oh there you are!" He said, trying to straighten himself up.

"Sit down." Amy said.

"I tried, but the couch moved."

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Amy asked, holding four fingers up in front of Sheldon.

"Um…eight."

"No; four. You're drunk, Sheldon. You're sleeping on the couch tonight." Amy helped him to lie down, and placed a bucket by his side just in case. She planted a glass of water on the coffee table, as an afterthought.

Sheldon grabbed her hand. "Amy, I'm not that drunk. I want to show you how sober I am. Come, sit-sit on here." He slurred, as he pulled her on top of him and began kissing her.

At first, she got so lost in the kiss that she wanted to oblige, but she mustered all of her strength and sat up. "No Sheldon. You _are_ drunk, okay? I'm sorry."

He pouted again. "But Amyyyyy…" He whined, "Maybe the alcohol in my system will improve my performance."

"Take it from me; it does not need improvement!"

Amy was about to get up when Sheldon spoke again. "I'm sorry. I know I'm a little bit intoxicated but I want to connect with you. I'm sorry that I want to impregnate you with my progeny!"

Amy stood stock still, feeling her heart skip a beat.

That was the first time that Sheldon had actually just said it outright.

Of course, he was drunk, though…

"Sheldon, you know we have a plan." Amy said, gently. "If that plan goes well, then yes. But not right now. You said yourself that we are in great places in our careers, and we have only been married a month, so we need more time to adjust to married life, and to each other. I love you so, so much, but this is too soon. Please be patient. I was always patient with you."

Sheldon looked at her sadly, even in his drunken state. "Whilst you make a good point, I can't help but feel the irony in this."

"What do you mean?" Amy frowned.

"Well…It was always you who wanted our relationship to move forward. Don't get me wrong, I wanted it to as well, but I was afraid and new to all of this…Now it seems the tables have turned. I…I had no idea how much it hurt, and I'm sorry."

Amy stared at him now, shocked by the sincerity of his words, and by the emotions he was showing that were made evident by the single droplet running down one cheek.

Amy swooped down and wrapped him in a hug.

"I made you a promise; I never back out on promises." She said softly, "The last thing I want to do is hurt you. All I'm asking for is some time…Please?"

Sheldon nodded, and Amy kissed him, letting him roll over.

Sheldon fell asleep almost immediately, sleeping off his drunkenness and the horrible new emotion that he felt controlling his body.

..

The next morning, Amy woke up with regret.

She peered over at the couch, and found Sheldon still asleep.

Throwing back the covers, Amy tiptoed to the bathroom to get ready for the day, and then made her way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

She made some fresh coffee and cooked the new bacon and eggs that she had purchased the day before, adding some toast.

The smell of food and coffee woke Sheldon up, and he groaned.

"Ow…My head." He complained. "Did…Did I _drink _last night?"

"Yes, you did." Amy replied, feeling slightly relieved that he had obviously forgotten about last night.

But that was soon to be corrected;

"Amy…I'm truly sorry for my behaviour last night."

"So you remember that part?"

"I was beginning to sober up by then, I think." Sheldon nodded. "Do we have any painkillers? My head is pounding. I managed to avoid any nausea or vomiting though, thank God!"

"Of course." Amy rummaged through one of the cupboards, and pulled out the box of medicine and band aids.

She selected the box of Tylenol tablets, and gave Sheldon two, accompanied with a glass of fresh bottled water.

He swallowed the pills and sighed. "I didn't mean to get so emotional with you. I feel so foolish."

"Don't…I had no idea how much this was really affecting you. I mean, I knew, but not the extent…" Amy replied, as she handed him his breakfast. "I'm sorry Sheldon."

"No, you were right. It's much too soon." He sighed sadly, sitting down to eat. "I don't know what's come over me lately. I think I just need to get over the idea…Still go through with the plan of course, but not treat it like anything will come out of it."

"Don't be like that," Amy said, "The plan was devised for a reason. We need to hold on to the dream; otherwise we will just… have a dog."

"But we _will _just have a dog."

"I know, but with the thought of having a child in the future in mind, we will work harder at it. Rise to the challenge…Then we will know if we're ready or not."

Sheldon took a deep breath. "No, you know, this whole thing is stupid. I've already had two of my dreams come true; a fourth will just be greedy."

Amy frowned. "You mean third?"

"No; fourth…My third dream is to win the Nobel Prize."

"What were your first and second?"

"To become a Physicist and to marry you." Sheldon said, softly. "They aren't numbered out of preference by the way; only in order of occurrence. Marrying you would have been my first choice, otherwise."

Amy smiled. "Don't take this the wrong way Sheldon, but…I don't see you getting as upset about not winning a Nobel Prize as you are about not having children."

Sheldon gave Amy a look. "Oh come on, we both know I'm going to win one!"

"But before having a child…?"

"Are you saying that my work isn't up to it?"

"No, no! Of course it is!" Amy protested, "I just didn't realize how much all of this meant to you."

"Amy, I've always lived my life by planning carefully, scheduling everything I do…Since I met you, it's kind of gone to hell. But I don't care anymore…I mean, I'll never stop planning to win a Nobel Prize, and taking the time to make my work worthy of the greatest achievement the world has ever known, but…Somewhere amongst my newer plans, are you…and a little Homo Novus 2.0"

"Homo Novus 2.0?"

"A baby…"

"Why 2.0?"

"Because you and I are the existing Homo Novus', and if we procreate, it will be a new generation of Homo Novus." Sheldon explained. "Maybe even better than ours?"

"So…That's really part of your plan?" Amy asked.

"As of 2010, yes." Sheldon nodded.

"Whoa, wait! 2010!?" Amy cried.

"That's when I met you…" Sheldon confirmed, shyly.

Amy gazed at him. "Well…In order to complete your life plan, you need to have another plan to reach the plan that you already planned. Does that make sense?"

"Of course it does. You're talking to _me_."

"Then I say we continue with the idea of the dog. If, by the end of our time here in Florida, it has gone well, then we can try."

"And not wait a whole year after that, as per our previous agreement?"

"Depending on how long it takes to conceive, absolutely."

Sheldon nodded, thoughtfully. "Okay." He decided, as he finished his breakfast and thanked Amy with a kiss. "Then we'd better get ready. We have a dog to find!"


	33. Chapter 33

Amy and Sheldon made their way to the local canine rescue shelter.

Amy had insisted upon getting a rescue dog instead of buying from a breeder, so that they would be saving a dog's life at the same time.

They were being led round by one of the staff, peering into the pens.

The pens were huge, with a large indoor shelter each, loads of outdoor space, and access to the backyard to run around and play in.

Most of the dogs at the shelter were medium or large-sized dogs, which occupied a large kennel block. The smaller dogs were situated next door in the smaller kennel block.

Sheldon was frightened of the bigger dogs, even though they were gentle and docile, so he would try and avoid their pens.

"We never put our dogs down if they are healthy." The woman promised, "These dogs are treated well and loved by all of us."

Amy and Sheldon could tell that this was true by the wagging tails and their gleaming eyes.

"Do you have any…smaller…dogs?" Sheldon requested, nervously.

"Yeah, just over here." The woman said, leading them to the second kennel block.

There were so many smaller dogs in here, and Amy found all of them cute, but one in particular caught Sheldon's eye.

The dog was sitting upright in his pen, tongue lolling and tail wagging.

He had smooth, white fur with tan patches on him, big, dark eyes and floppy ears.

The lady caught Sheldon admiring the dog, and walked over. "This is a male Fox Terrier." She smiled.

"Does he have a name?" Amy asked.

"Not officially. We nicknamed him Roscoe, but he doesn't answer to that. We only nicknamed him so we can differentiate between the other dogs, for veterinary purposes and the feeding schedule…"

"He has a feeding schedule?" Sheldon asked.

"Well here he does, yes."

"Fascinating…What are the times that he eats?"

"Eight O'clock for breakfast, midday for lunch, dry dog food at four, and dinner at eight."

"So…Four hour intervals?"

"That's correct, sir."

Sheldon looked at the dog, and the dog cocked his head on its side, as if he was also trying to analyse Sheldon.

"He's currently only a year old. Perfectly healthy, fully vaccinated, has been wormed, teeth checked, neutered, and no fleas." The woman was saying.

"Does he have any fears or other problems?" Amy was asking.

"Well, no, not per se…"

"That doesn't sound convincing." Amy frowned.

"Oh it's nothing really. He just seems a bit _too _reliant on schedules. He loves attention though, and he's very intelligent and sweet. He loves baths, maybe a little _too _much…" The woman replied.

"Ah! He sounds perfect!" Sheldon beamed, "I think we'll get along just fine. Can we go in and see him please?"

"Of course." The lady opened the pen to let Sheldon and Amy in, and the dog instantly wagged his tail, excitedly.

"Hello," Sheldon said, crouching down. "Please don't hurt me."

The woman laughed. "Roscoe's a big old softie! He's our friendliest resident."

As if to prove her point, Roscoe gently reared up on his hind legs, and put his paws on Sheldon's leg, tail now wagging manically as Sheldon stroked his head and ears.

Roscoe then tried his luck with Amy, who petted him and cooed.

"I think he's chosen you!" The woman laughed.

"I think we chose each other," Amy replied, grinning. "Right Sheldon?"

"Definitely. I like this dog…Although we'll need to change his name."

"We can do that later. I think this dog has found his new home!" Amy grinned excitedly.

"Great! I'd like to thank you on behalf of the shelter, and the dogs, for choosing a rescue dog. I'll go get his paperwork, then we can finish the transaction and Roscoe is all yours!" The woman smiled, as she closed the pen and led Sheldon and Amy to the office.

..

Almost an hour later, Sheldon and Amy were walking their new dog back to the suite, arms full of necessities for him.

"What about Lucky?" Amy suggested.

"My old cat was called Lucky." Sheldon shook his head. "And let's just say that didn't work out so well for him…"

"Hmmm…" Amy mumbled thoughtfully.

"I know!" Sheldon piped up. "I used to love watching Scooby Doo! How about we name him Scooby? Or Scrappy."

"I vote Scooby." Amy replied.

"Scooby it is!" Sheldon said, as they waited to cross the road back to the hotel.

They made their way through the building until they reached their suite, and let Scooby off the leash, where he trotted into the room and began to explore, sniffing the floor and everything in sight.

"Let's just hope he doesn't mark his territory." Amy muttered.

"You mean…Make sissy on the furniture?" Sheldon looked alarmed. "He can't do that!"

"Relax. That's why I got this." Amy placed down a large litter tray, filling it with litter, and planting a fake wooden log upright in it. "We can train him to go to the bathroom against this."

"Excellent idea Amy! Oh, but what about when we're having coitus?" Sheldon asked. "He might watch us!"

"Then we put him in the kitchen and close our bedroom door…Like we _forgot_ to do that time Penny caught us." Amy shrugged. "Which reminds me, I need to call her." Amy set down the rest of Scooby's things, and walked into the kitchen with her phone.

Sheldon sat on the bed and relaxed, closing his eyes.

He felt something land on the bed, and looked up.

Scooby was eyeing him innocently, cocking his head on one side.

"You're not supposed to be on the furniture, Scooby." Sheldon said, and Scooby's ears drooped.

"Aw, but you're so cute…Come here." Sheldon relented, patting the spot beside him, as Scooby bounded over and curled up next to him.

Sheldon made a fuss of the dog, until Amy joined him in the bedroom. "I see I've been replaced!" She teased with a grin. "Hello Scooby." She stroked his head, and tickled his ears.

Scooby's tail wagged and his tongue lolled happily.

"He likes us!" Amy laughed. "Penny thinks our idea is great, by the way!"

"What? You told her?!" Sheldon groaned.

"Yeah…Sorry, was that wrong?" Amy bit her lip.

"No, it's just that she will tell everyone else…"

"So?"

"You're right. So what? We're doing the sensible thing." Sheldon replied, as he picked up the Dog Bubbles and blew a few into the air, as Scooby danced around and tried to pop them with his mouth.

Amy and Sheldon laughed.

"It's almost four O'clock; I'll fill up his bowl with some dry food. Come on, Scooby." Amy smiled, as she hopped down off the bed, and Scooby followed her into the kitchen.

..

That night, after the couple had eaten dinner, and were relaxing on the couch watching TV, Scooby lay down in his basket and yawned tiredly.

"He's going to sleep." Amy whispered.

Sheldon picked up the remote and turned the TV down a little, before sitting back in his spot, his arms around Amy.

He checked that Scooby's eyes were closed, before proceeding to kiss Amy passionately.

"We didn't get to have coitus last night." Sheldon whispered.

"And whose fault was that, Drunky McDrunkerson?" Amy raised her eyebrows.

"I blame David. He introduced me to light beer." Sheldon teased, as he ran his hands up Amy's shirt and expertly unhooked her bra.

"Wow!" Amy blinked, before Sheldon mounted her, and they both lay on the couch, writhing together, kissing feverishly.

After a moment, they heard a small sigh, and looked up.

Scooby was still in his basket, but now had a paw over his eyes.

Amy and Sheldon sniggered.

"We'd better take this to the bedroom." Sheldon said, taking Amy by the hand. "Goodnight Scooby."

They shut the door behind them, and Sheldon took Amy's shirt off instantly, before removing his own.

"Hey, I wanted to do that!" Amy pouted.

"I saved the best part for you." He replied, gesturing to his pants.

"Good point." Amy nodded, unbuckling his belt and unzipping the pants, before watching them fall to the ground and revealing Sheldon's new boxers, which were currently being tented by his erection.

Amy looked down appreciatively, and rubbed her hand over him, hearing him sigh with pleasure as he proceeded to undo Amy's skirt button and watched it fall to the ground.

He pressed himself against her, massaging her breasts with his hands, and rubbing his erection against her core, all whilst still maintaining the kiss.

Amy removed her underwear, and pulled Sheldon's down too, so that they were both completely naked.

"Let's try something different." Sheldon said, breaking contact.

"Like what?" Amy asked.

"This." Sheldon lifted her up, and held her up against the wall, inserting himself and thrusting hard but slowly.

Amy wrapped her legs around his waist, as he lowered his mouth to toy with her breasts.

Amy buried her head in her husband's neck, sucking and nipping the skin on his collarbone.

Sheldon was breathing erratically, pushing himself in deeper and harder, beginning to moan loudly.

"Oh God…Sheldon…" Amy was crying out.

"Mm Amy…"

They both released at the same time, and Sheldon returned Amy to the floor.

She could barely stand up, and had to sit herself down on the bed, next to her husband.

Sheldon kissed her, and was about to get up when he caught sight of himself in the dresser mirror.

"Amy, what is this mark on my neck?"

"Um…"

"Did you bite me?" He frowned.

"No…Uh, that-that would be a hickey." Amy mumbled, embarrassed.

"A what?" Sheldon asked.

"Remember last Halloween, when we were discussing couple's costumes, and were arguing and I said that couples either have matching costumes, hickeys or sex tapes…? You asked what a hickey was, and I said…"

"Oh…" He frowned, and then it sunk in. "OH! Amy, really?" Sheldon groaned.

"I'm sorry…"

"Well at least let me return the favour!" Sheldon said, leaning in and locking his lips to Amy's neck, biting and sucking the skin, and then leaning back.

"There." He declared.

"Yeah, I have to go to work like this." Amy frowned.

"Yes, but you can wear your coloured dust to hide it." Sheldon replied.

"You mean my make-up?" Amy corrected. "It's called face powder."

"Powder, dust…Same thing." Sheldon shrugged.

It was then that he realized he and Amy were still completely naked.

"We need to put some clothes on." Sheldon advised.

"Oh! God, yeah…" Amy looked embarrassed, as she and Sheldon changed back into their clothes.

They heard a snuffling noise at the door, and spun around.

Scooby had somehow managed to push open the door, and was sitting down, watching his 'parents'.

Sheldon was the first to spot him. "Oh…Uh, hi Scooby…We were just…"

Scooby was giving them both a blank stare, looking very displeased.

"Alright, look, Scooby…" Sheldon bent down. "When two people love each other very much, sometimes they like to engage in…"

Scooby continued to stare distastefully at Amy and Sheldon.

"We're very, very sorry for waking you." Sheldon muttered.

Scooby gave a small woof of satisfaction and trotted back into the living room.

Amy and Sheldon looked at each other and sniggered.

"So this is what it's like to have a child?" Sheldon laughed, "Fascinating."

..

**A/N: Thanks for reading. I will continue with this at some point, but am thinking of going on a break for a while. I'm not getting many reviews **_**at all**_** on this story at the moment, so it's kind of making me question it a bit. Seems to be going from one extreme to the other with me on here; not sure why? But I'll still write my other fic of course. I do try to update very frequently and work very hard on this, between working two jobs **_**and**_** studying, so I don't have a moment's peace really; I'm constantly working my butt off lol.**

**I'm not seeking attention or anything (totally not who I am in the slightest), and I hate to ask so forwardly, but I'd really appreciate some more (non-flame!) reviews please, if anyone is still reading this. Otherwise, I probably will feel the need to discontinue altogether.**

**A big thank you to those of you who do take the time to read and review. Really means a lot :) **


	34. Chapter 34

"Scooby!" Amy called as she opened a tin of dog food the following morning.

The Fox Terrier's ears pricked up, and he trotted into the kitchen.

Amy placed his bowl on the floor, and Scooby jumped up and let Amy fuss him before he proceeded to eat.

Amy grimaced as she stood back up.

Sheldon spotted this and frowned.

"Is something bothering you?" He inquired.

"My back hurts." Amy replied.

"Hmm maybe it was from our acrobatic intercourse last night." Sheldon replied. "Which reminds me; next time we should also lock the door, not just close it."

"Agreed!" Amy nodded, "No more interruptions from Scooby. But regarding my back; it doesn't feel like I've pulled anything, it's just…sore?"

"Oh. Would you like me to massage it better for you? Maybe apply an ice or heat pack to it? I have one of each." Sheldon offered.

Amy shook her head. "No thank you Sheldon," she declined, "I'll just take some Tylenol. That should get rid of the pain. Besides, I have to get to work and if you massage me, I won't be able to keep my hands off you!" She winked.

"Is that such a terrible thing?" Sheldon asked as he set up his laptop, ready to work from home.

Amy laughed. "Of course not…I'm saving you for later!" She slipped into the bathroom to shower, and Sheldon sipped his tea as Scooby finished up his breakfast and sat next to Sheldon's chair at the table.

"Can I help you?" Sheldon asked.

Scooby woofed lightly and wagged his tail.

Sheldon pulled out one of the other dining chairs, which Scooby immediately hopped on to, sitting down and watching Sheldon.

"I'll take you for a walk in just a minute." Sheldon said, as he jotted some equations down.

He only took a moment, before getting himself ready and attaching the lead to Scooby's collar.

Amy emerged from the bathroom, having dried her hair, got dressed and applied her makeup in there.

Slipping on her shoes and grabbing her belongings, she and Sheldon left together.

"You're very quiet Amy." Sheldon commented, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Um…no." She replied.

Sheldon frowned at her. "Oh…Why?"

Sighing, Amy spoke again. "I got my period."

"Yes…So?"

"So…I don't know to be honest."

"But…You said…The plan. We have Scooby now, and…"

"I know," Amy cut in, "But still…I was silently hoping."

Sheldon's shoulders drooped, which had nothing to do with Scooby pulling on his lead!

"Oh…" He said sadly, reaching for Amy's hand and squeezing it comfortingly as he laced their fingers together. "I thought you were against it?"

"I am…But like you said; once you know for definite it isn't there anymore, it hurts." Amy nodded.

Sheldon brought Scooby to heel, and bit his lip. "Indeed…Why don't you take the day off today?"

Amy shook her head. "No, I can't."

"Well how about you feign illness and leave early? I can take care of you…"

"Hmm…I might just do that." Amy nodded. "I love work but I'm not up to it today. Thank you Sheldon."

They stopped outside the building.

"I'd love to come in and see it one day." Sheldon said.

"Why don't you now?" Amy shrugged.

"I've got Scooby."

"So?"

"We'll get kicked out."

"You're with me." Amy replied, pushing the doors open and letting Sheldon and Scooby through with her.

..

"Ah, Dr Fowler! Good morning…This must be your husband?" Professor Roberts greeted.

"Yes, this is Sheldon." Amy smiled. "And our new dog Scooby…Don't worry; he's clean."

"Nice to meet you Sheldon," Professor Roberts extended his hand, and Sheldon looked down, swallowing.

Amy glanced at him, worried.

Sheldon took a breath and shook Professor Roberts' hand.

"I just wanted to show Sheldon the lab and the marine tank." Amy smiled.

Professor Roberts frowned at her. "Are you okay my dear? You look a little pale; are you sick?"

"Yeah," Amy replied.

It wasn't a total lie; she did feel pretty awful.

"Well how about you show Sheldon and Scooby around and then I let you have the day off?" Professor Roberts said, kindly.

"Are you sure, sir? I really don't want to…"

"You're not causing any hassle Amy." He smiled. "Come on through."

"Thank you Professor." Amy smiled weakly, as she led Sheldon through the double doors to the lab.

..

"This is magnificent!" Sheldon gasped, taking in the plain white décor of the lab, the clean surfaces, the high-tech and modern equipment, and most of all; the viewing gallery to the tank.

"I thought you might like it." Amy grinned.

She led him over to the viewing gallery, right by the computers, and pointed out a newly-reformed Soleil, who was with Beth and another diver at the moment, and her calf Capri, at her side.

"That adult bottlenose there; that's Soleil. The one I helped reform. It turns out that from her brain waves we could determine that she suffered from a form of anxiety that affects dolphins and other mammals." Amy smiled, proudly. "And her calf is Capri…He had no problems!"

"You did that?" Sheldon asked. "You helped to reform a frightened, anxious dolphin?"

Amy nodded. "By using a simple technique that piques curiosity. All living creatures are inquisitive; and if you appeal to their curious side, and then show that there is nothing to be afraid of, it can modify behaviour and ways of thinking. This is also used on horses."

"Fascinating!" Sheldon nodded clearly impressed.

"I also kind of performed it on you, too…" Amy blushed. "With the whole dry sex and bases thing. Got you curious enough, didn't it? We're having sex regularly now…"

Sheldon stared at her in shock. "You vixen!" He grinned, "I had no idea, all this time!"

"It worked, didn't it?" Amy said, impishly.

"It certainly did," Sheldon nodded, as he stepped closer, "And when we get home, I will show you!"

..

Amy quickly excused herself from work, feigning illness, and she and Sheldon walked Scooby back to the hotel and up to their suite.

Scooby settled himself in his basket, as Sheldon and Amy got ready and met in the bedroom, locking the door.

"How are you feeling?" Sheldon asked. "If you've got your period, won't it be messy and painful?"

"Well, yes." Amy replied, "It's my off week on the pill, so I have to let it take its course."

"How bad is it at the moment?"

"Only spotting. Hardly anything really, but it's pretty painful."

"Oh…Maybe I can get rid of the pain." Sheldon replied, lowering himself on the bed, and kissing Amy passionately.

"I don't know…It really does hurt; maybe we should leave it for now." Amy grimaced, but Sheldon wasn't listening.

He had already pulled Amy's skirt off, and was working on her blouse.

"Um…Sheldon?"

"Shh…Let me do this for you." He replied, softly, still kissing her.

In no time at all, he had removed his own clothing and positioned himself at her entrance.

Amy was kissing him back, but trying hard to resist his sexual advances.

Sheldon pushed in, and was already maintaining a rhythm, when he felt hands on his chest, forcefully.

"Sheldon, please stop. You're hurting me!"

He immediately pulled out, and looked down at Amy, whose eyes were wide and disbelieving, rimmed with tears.

"I said no." She was saying now, pulling her clothes back on.

It suddenly dawned on him, as he pulled his own underwear and clothes back on.

"Oh God, did I…? Amy, I'm sorry. I am _so_ sorry; I have no idea what…"

She shook her head, getting to her feet. "Why would you force me?"

"I don't know," Sheldon said lamely.

It was honest, but sounded so pathetic.

"I didn't hear you…I would _never_ intentionally hurt you Amy, you know that. I'm so truly sorry."

He tried to help her, but she swatted him away, as she headed wordlessly for the door.

"Oh Good Lord, what have I done?" He shook his head, as he sat alone on the bed.

He had forced Amy into having sex, when she was clearly in pain.

"What has happened to me!?" He sighed, as he began to sob to himself, becoming hysterical. "I would never intentionally hurt another person, especially my Amy; what have I done!

He ran to the bathroom and retched.

Nothing came up, and as the feeling of nausea disappeared, he felt a great need to shower.

Turning the water on, he stripped and stood under the spray, scrubbing himself vigorously.

He looked down and deliberately hit himself in the groin, disgusted, only to then recoil in pain.

Once he was satisfied that he was clean, he dried himself, and dressed in the bedroom, sighing.

"I need to turn myself in." He muttered, emerging into the room.

Scooby was staring at him, looking confused.

"But I can't leave you here alone…" Sheldon finished.

He quickly sent a text to David, and once he got the reply, he sighed again, attaching Scooby's lead to his collar.

Scribbling a note, Sheldon walked out of the door.

..

Sheldon got out of the elevator at the bottom, just as Amy ascended in the other elevator, so they missed each other by a second.

Amy had had time to collect her thoughts, and as she reached the room, she unlocked the door.

"Hi Sheldon! I'm back…Look; I know you didn't mean to hurt me and I…"

She spotted the note on the table, and picked it up, beginning to read:

_Dear Amy, my beautiful wife;_

_I am so, so sorry for hurting you and forcing you into coitus; I am a filthy lowlife, no better than those criminals you hear about every day on TV._

_I love you so, so much and you deserve better. That is why I have taken Scooby to David and Emily's until you get back, and am turning myself in to the police._

_Please accept my sincerest apologies, and know that justice will be done._

_Forever in my heart,_

_Sheldon xxxx_

Amy burst into tears, shaking.

She never meant for this to happen!

'I don't want Sheldon to get into any trouble.' She thought. 'He isn't the same as those criminals!'

In a split second, she had grabbed her things, and was racing out of the door.

She had to stop him!

..

**A/N: Don't worry too much! That's all I'm going to say…I know this chapter was a little darker towards the end, and there is a reason; this is for character growth, and I know some people may not like this, and that's fine but ****please refrain from leaving flames****. I am aware this may be a little OCC, but that of course, is also intentional. **

**I do have a plan for this story, and please don't worry too much about the characters.**

**Thanks for reading, chapter 35 will be up soon.**


	35. Chapter 35

Amy pounded down the pavement, her lungs burning.

She finally located the police department in the distance, and increased her speed.

..

Sheldon was shaking as he stood in the building, facing the front desk.

He swallowed and took a deep breath, approaching the desk.

The officer at the desk looked up.

"Can I help you sir?"

Sheldon opened and closed his mouth, unable to speak for a moment.

The officer gave him a concerned look; "Do you want to report a crime?"

Swallowing, Sheldon found his voice. "Yes…Uh, actually I'd like to turn myself in."

The officer frowned, turning around to scan the wanted posters.

"For what? You don't match any of the descriptions of the currently wanted criminals."

"No, this just happened…Please understand that I am a good person with a good future ahead of me. I have never committed a crime before." Sheldon began to say. "I…I forced my wife to…"

The officer was leaning over his notebook, ready to write, looking up expectantly. "To do what, sir?"

"To have sex. I didn't mean to hurt her, officer. I'd never intentionally hurt her, she's the love of my life…As soon as she said she was in pain, I stopped. It made me sick, I ruined everything…I need to give her justice and peace of mind; that is why I'm here to hand myself in."

"So…You're trying to tell me that you…raped her?"

Sheldon winced at the word.

_Rape._

It was such a dirty, disgusting word, with an even worse meaning.

It was criminal; evil.

Had he really done that?

Sheldon began to hyperventilate, and tears were running down his cheeks.

"Well…I…"

"SHELDON STOP!"

He spun round to the doors, where there stood a dishevelled and exhausted-looking Amy.

"Are you insane? Come here." Amy approached him, embracing him in a hug.

Sheldon's body stiffened, and tried to wriggle away. "Amy, please don't touch me…I'm an animal."

"Don't be stupid." Amy whispered. "You are nothing like those people!" She took an emergency paper bag out of her purse and gave it to Sheldon to breathe into.

The police officer raised an eyebrow. "Are you the wife?"

"Yes." Amy nodded. "I got a note from Sheldon back in our suite, and he told me that he was sorry and that he's turning himself in."

"So he did rape you?"

"No!" Amy replied firmly, "No he did not."

"But Amy…" Sheldon butted in.

"Sheldon, you _didn't_, okay?"

"But you were frightened and got up and left."

"I was shocked, not frightened. I asked you to stop, and you stopped." Amy reassured, "I wasn't hurt or mentally scarred; I don't want you to get into trouble."

"So, ma'am…No charges being pressed?" the officer asked.

"No, officer. It's a misunderstanding. My husband isn't like most people; he doesn't understand much about social conventions and certain behaviours. He has anxiety issues, and I think this freaked him out." Amy replied.

She turned to face Sheldon, who was still a nervous wreck, but had managed to calm his breathing a little.

"You did _not_ rape me, okay?" She said, softly.

Sheldon nodded. "I'm sorry Amy." He replied, as Amy cuddled him.

"It's okay." Amy replied, "Sorry for wasting your time, officer."

With a sigh of relief, Sheldon allowed Amy to lead him home.

..

Later that afternoon, they had collected Scooby from David and Emily, and returned to the suite, with Scooby rushing to his basket and amusing himself with a squeaky toy.

Sheldon was still very quiet and reserved, keeping to himself.

Amy grew concerned, and ordered a take-out, going downstairs to retrieve it and then appearing back in the suite minutes later.

"I got us some pizza." She said, holding up the box.

Sheldon looked at her warily and nodded. "Thank you."

Amy set it on the table, and moved over to Sheldon, planting a kiss on him.

She felt hurt when Sheldon didn't respond.

"Please kiss me, Sheldon." She pleaded.

He shook his head.

Amy's heart sank.

In one day, her husband, who had done so well and come so far, had gone back into his shell again.

She swallowed hard, blinking back tears. "Sheldon…Please? We're married."

He looked at her, the life gone from his eyes.

"Aren't we?" Amy asked.

Sheldon looked down at his hand, and stared at his wedding band.

"Yes, we are." He replied.

Amy sighed with relief, as she hugged him tightly.

At first, he stiffened, but soon relaxed into the hug and returned it.

Amy looked at him and kissed his lips softly.

Finally, Sheldon responded.

Once again, he felt his baser urges taking over as the kiss deepened.

Amy led him to their bedroom and locked the door, before she unzipped his pants and began to cup him, rubbing intensely.

Sheldon grunted and pulled back. "What are you doing?"

"I'm coming on to you…" Amy replied.

"No…No, you can't. I defiled you!" Sheldon went high-pitched. "I can't believe you're even kissing and touching me!"

"SHELDON!" Amy raised her voice, "You did _not_ defile me. It was a mistake. I won't hold this against you; please…Please make love to me."

Sheldon swallowed. "I can't."

"Yes you can…Don't be put off…"

"No I mean I can't. You're in pain, I'm not in the mood, and I'm not…Well…I'm not erect."

"That can be arranged." Amy replied, lowering her hand.

Sheldon's breathing became erratic, and Amy took this as a good sign.

She looked up at him, and saw that his eyes were closed tight, as if he was meditating.

"Are you using Kohlinar?" She asked.

Sheldon didn't answer.

His breathing quickened again, as Amy finally managed to arouse him.

In Sheldon's mind, he was losing control.

He didn't want to do this right now, because of what he had done earlier, and was trying to fight against it in his mind.

But his body was winning; made evident by the tent in his trousers.

Amy was now pulling his pants down, still kissing him.

"Please relax Sheldon." She pleaded. "We can get past this."

Sheldon pulled away. "I can't. I don't want to hurt you again; I'm scared."

Amy felt saddened by his comment.

"You didn't…Well; you did, but not like that."

She was only in her underwear now, and Sheldon's eyes were still tightly shut.

"Open your eyes Sheldon. It's okay." Amy said, gently.

He opened them, and saw his wife standing in her bra and panties before him.

She looked so radiant, and he swallowed hard.

He felt his fingers twitch…Needing to touch her, hold her, and do things to her.

He blinked hard, balling his hands into fists.

"Amy, you don't have to prove anything…"

"Yes I do. I need to prove that you didn't do anything wrong and that I still need you." She replied, huskily, as she sat on the bed in a suggestive pose. "Come here to me, I won't bite."

"No, but I might." Sheldon replied, sadly.

"You have self-control, remember? You are not a monster…Come to me. It's fine. We can do this, just like we did before." Amy coaxed gently.

Sheldon began to feel reassured.

He moved slowly towards the bed and sat down gingerly.

Amy put her lips to his and kissed him, this time with him responding immediately.

As the kiss grew more passionate, Amy grasped Sheldon and ran her hand up and down his length.

He frowned, pulling his head back for a moment.

"It's okay." Amy repeated softly, "We need to reboot. The only way to do that is start up again."

Sheldon nodded, and allowed Amy to pleasure him.

After some time, she moved aside, and invited Sheldon onto her lap. "Come on." She coaxed.

He timidly obliged and as she guided him into her, she felt him hesitate.

"Do you want me to do the work until you feel ready?" She asked.

Sheldon nodded. "Okay." He answered.

Amy returned to kiss him, and rolled her hips against his.

Her breathing quickened, and she moved her hips up further, until she completely consumed him.

Sheldon soon abandoned attempting Kohlinar and moved in time with her, his urges taking over his body and his mind.

Their kiss grew intense, as did their lovemaking, and soon they were both caught in climax together, moaning loudly as they both finally released.

Before Sheldon could panic, Amy took his face in her hands.

"Thank you," she smiled. "You overcame another fear for me…Please remember you didn't do anything wrong. Not knowingly, and you did amazingly well, as usual!"

Sheldon nodded, "Thank you Amy."

"It's important that we re-connect after any problems or snags, otherwise we may never get back to normal." Amy explained gently.

"I know," Sheldon replied, "And I _am_ sorry for hurting you earlier."

"I know you are, but I'm not holding it against you. Never think of yourself as a criminal, okay? I know you're still kind of new to this; we both are. You're afraid…I was too. But it really is alright; it was a mistake. I'm fine, you're fine…No harm done." Amy reassured. "I love you."

"I love you too." Sheldon replied, without missing a beat, as he held Amy tightly and breathed a big sigh of relief.


	36. Chapter 36

It took a couple of weeks for Sheldon to get back into their regular coitus routine, which left Amy stressed and exhausted at first.

But she remained patient as always, and Sheldon finally managed to get over what had happened.

Of course, he'd never forget, but he had gotten over it now, and was back to his newfound romantic ways, more or less.

Yet, Amy still seemed stressed.

Things at the Fitzpatrick Marine Biology Facility were getting intense as the workload piled up. Sheldon, although home-commuting, was finally on his way to a breakthrough, and he was working hard too, so they'd only get weekends to relax.

Amy would come home and be so stressed out and tired, that Sheldon would happily take care of her and prepare dinner, go down to the restaurant or order takeout for them both.

By bedtime, Amy would be recovered and more relaxed, so that she and Sheldon could fool around.

They were both adapting to Scooby and his demands, although he didn't really have many.

He mostly kept to himself, unless he wanted some attention or food or walkies.

One particular afternoon, Amy came home in a foul mood, dumping her bag on the table and throwing herself on the couch.

Sheldon stared at her.

After a moment, he realized that she probably needed to talk, and got to his feet, wandering over to the couch and sitting beside Amy.

"What's troubling you?" He asked.

"Nothing." She replied, huffily.

"Your body language suggests otherwise." Sheldon replied, softly, scooting closer and placing a comforting hand on her waist. "Tell me."

Amy sighed. "They let Soleil and Capri go back into the ocean." She said, sadly.

Sheldon bit his lip.

Amy had become very close to the bottlenose dolphin and her cheeky calf, and she had been the one who recognized the problem and was able to help cure it.

It had helped her research so much, and back home, UCLA had received her paper and been so impressed with it, that they had offered her an award, which she was to collect on her return to LA.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Sheldon replied gently. "But you could have saved her life, doing what you did."

Amy nodded. "She saved mine…She taught me a lot of things, and won me an award…But she began to feel like my own pet in a way." Amy blinked and a single tear ran down her face.

Sheldon remembered something from a while ago;

Amy had hugged him when he was upset about Kripke, hadn't she?

In fact, she had hugged him every time he had been upset…

He scooted closer and wrapped his arms around her, letting her bury her head in his shoulder.

He felt a wet patch where she was crying, but didn't even flinch.

After a while, Amy pulled away. "I'm sorry. I'm being so stupid."

"No you're not." Sheldon replied, "You're the smartest person I know…Besides myself."

Amy smiled weakly.

Sheldon stood up and switched the kettle on, making some chamomile tea.

He brought it back over and offered it to Amy. "Hot beverage…Because you're upset." He said.

Amy thanked him and took the drink, taking a sip. "Thank you for taking care of me, Sheldon."

"I'm your husband. I have to take care of you." He replied, simply. "On top of that, I love you and don't like seeing you upset."

Amy smiled and kissed him.

Scooby had sensed Amy's sadness, and wandered over with his tail down, and big, sad eyes.

Giving a little whine, he laid his head on Amy's leg.

"Aww. Thank you Scooby; at least I know I have my boys at home to look after me. I love you both." She fondled Scooby's floppy ears, and gave Sheldon another kiss.

Scooby took it upon himself to climb onto the furniture, and sat on Amy's lap.

"Oof! You're heavy, Scoobs!" She grumbled. "Be careful!"

Sheldon laughed. "Aww, he wants to cuddle his mommy!"

Amy blinked and looked up at Sheldon.

"What did you say?"

"I said…I said he wants to cuddle up with his mommy. Was that offensive?" Sheldon frowned, confused.

"No…But you were talking as if he's our child." Amy laughed uncomfortably.

"He might as well be." Sheldon shrugged, "Scooby, off the furniture please. You'll track dirt all over the nice sofa."

Scooby made a huffing noise before reluctantly jumping onto the floor, and trotting away, haughtily.

Sheldon and Amy laughed at his antics.

"Oh well, if he's not going to speak to us, maybe he doesn't want the bath that we scheduled for him. What a shame…I guess we'll have to change his entire routine!" Sheldon said loudly, only to then have Scooby race back into the room, jumping up excitedly.

Amy was nearly breathless with laughter.

"I thought that might change your mind," Sheldon chuckled to the dog. "You and I are too alike, young man. I know what grinds your gears!"

Sheldon and Amy entered the bathroom, and ran the water, adding some special doggy bubble bath.

Scooby leapt in, spraying Sheldon and Amy with water, and sat patiently, waiting to be shampooed.

Amy took the jug and filled it with water, carefully soaking Scooby before adding the dog shampoo.

Sheldon added some shampoo to the dog's head, and made a 'horn' on his forehead out of wet fur, which caused him and Amy to all into a fit of hysterics and taking a photo, whilst Scooby just eyed them, clearly displeased.

Once Scooby was rinsed and dry, Sheldon and Amy took it in turns to shower before getting changed to go to the restaurant.

Stopping at the door, they both turned around.

"Behave yourself." Sheldon grinned to Scooby, who was 'watching TV' from his basket.

..

Once seated in the restaurant, Amy fell silent.

Sheldon didn't seem to notice, as he scanned the menu and complained about a noisy table containing a family from New York and their rowdy teenage sons.

Sheldon frowned, as he noticed Amy biting her nails, hardly paying attention.

"So anyway, that's when I decided to stop being a theoretical physicist and become a male stripper-gram." He said.

"What?" Amy blinked, turning to stare at him in shock.

"Bazinga!" Sheldon grinned as Amy smiled and rolled her eyes. "But that got your attention! Seriously Amy, is something else troubling you?"

"No." Amy shook her head and looked down at the menu.

A waitress came by and took their order, returning moments later with their drinks, before disappearing again.

"Amy…If…If there was something else troubling you, you would tell me wouldn't you?" Sheldon asked, after a while of seeing Amy shift uncomfortably.

"Of course I would." She nodded.

"Okay…You're not considering a divorce are you?"

"What? No! No way! Oh God Sheldon, I'm sorry, my head is all over the place at the moment." Amy sighed.

"Why?" Sheldon asked, taking her hand. "I know I'm not the best person to talk to about emotional things, but I'm trying; I'm getting there. And I'm your husband…I'm here for you."

"I know, and thank you." Amy smiled, leaning back and resting her hands on her stomach.

Sheldon frowned. "Stomach ache?"

"Yeah…Period pain." Amy whispered.

"Oh…Didn't you come off that like a week ago?"

"Yes but I've been experiencing it still. I need to get my birth control changed, I think. This is doing nothing for me."

"What!?" Sheldon spluttered.

"Oh no, no…I mean…It's causing problems." Amy said, hurriedly.

"Like what?" Sheldon asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I don't know…Just ongoing bleeding, menstrual cramps, stress, fatigue…The usual." Amy replied.

"So no nausea then?"

"No. It never causes nausea." Amy shook her head.

At that moment, the waitress returned with their meals, wishing them a good evening and that they have a nice meal.

Sheldon and Amy thanked her as she walked away.

Amy seemed glad of a distraction, and tucked into her food.

Sheldon watched her carefully as he ate slowly.

Something wasn't right.

He bit his lip.

"You…You haven't decided to re-visit our problem from two weeks ago, have you?" He asked.

"What problem?" Amy asked, frowning.

"You know, when I went to the police…" Sheldon reminded.

"Oh God no! Sheldon, no…Never! I already spoke to you about this anyway; I'd never do that to you. Look it's nothing. I'm just stressed and tired from work, my pill isn't working and Soleil and Capri got released into the wild today. I'm a little all over the place." Amy reassured.

Sheldon sighed. "Okay." He said, trying to concentrate on his meal.

..

As the couple returned to their room that night, Sheldon had pushed the conversation to the back of his mind, and now they were talking about Skyping with Leonard and Penny.

Amy had relaxed, and was coming on to him as soon as they entered the suite.

"Let me just go to the bathroom and I'll be right with you." Sheldon promised, as they broke their kiss.

He locked the bathroom door and used the toilet.

As he flushed and washed his hands, he glanced up at the mirror, only to notice his hair sticking out at odd angles, where Amy had run her hands through it.

Remembering Leonard's advice from the wedding, he pondered whether or not he should add some wax and make his hair spikier, like it had been on his and Amy's wedding day.

He opened the cupboard, and located the wax, which was on top of a load of other items.

"I see no organizational schematic in this cupboard." He sighed, as he pulled the tub out, knocking everything underneath it out in the process.

Bending down to retrieve the dropped items, he found a two-week blister of pills, with only one missing.

He frowned, turning them over to read the foil.

_Altavera._

He frowned.

'_I'm sure I know that name…'_

Sure enough, he did, gasping in realization as it hit him.

'_Altavera is a contraceptive pill!'_

Which also raised the question…"Why hasn't she taken it?"

He shakily walked out of the bathroom, and Amy turned to smile at him.

"Took your time, handsome," She purred, "What took you so long?"

Sheldon held up the blister. "These fell out while I was retrieving the hair wax…"

Amy swallowed.

"You haven't taken it in thirteen days…We've been having coitus." Sheldon said, quietly.

"I know…I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." Amy replied, matching his tone.

"Are…Are we trying?" Sheldon asked.

Amy just looked up at him, unable to speak.

Swallowing again, she slowly shook her head.

"There wouldn't be much point." She whispered.

Sheldon lowered the arm that was holding up the pills, slowly, still staring at Amy with concern…

..

**A/N: You have been struck by the evil cliffhanger. Here's where I go off the grid for a month and leave you all wallowing in confusion as it slowly drives you insane…MUAHAHAHAHAHA! ;) I joke of course! Tonight's Big Bang episode sent chills down my spine; it was so sweet and perfect and…Just aww, the feels! Love the Shamy so much, and now they're ****that**** much closer to…Yeah. (SPOILER ALERT) Anyway; feel free to guess what happens next, and I shall update tomorrow…Maybe…Who knows? ;) – NO FLAMES, PLEASE!**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. **


	37. Chapter 37

Sheldon stared at Amy with concern as she bit her lip.

He took a step towards her, glancing down at her stomach, and timidly reaching out a hand.

It took a moment, until he gently placed it on her stomach and swallowed.

"You mean you're…?"

Amy shook her head. "No."

Sheldon frowned. "What?" He withdrew his hand and took hers in his own.

"I went to get a fertility test. I was doing it as a surprise for you, thinking it would all be okay, but…it's not." Amy replied.

"You did it as a surprise for me?" Sheldon frowned.

Amy nodded. "Yes. "

"Why? I thought the plan was that we see how things go with Scooby, and then we try when we return to Pasadena."

"It is…Or was. Things were going so well, and I wanted to get a fertility test as a surprise for you two weeks ago. I was going to tell you the same night I got it done, but…It was bad news. I was so scared to tell you, and didn't think you'd notice if I stopped taking my pill. What's the point in taking it now anyway?" Amy wiped her eyes and sniffed.

Sheldon hugged her. "But…It's not completely impossible right?"

"Well…No, not completely. Just highly unlikely."

"Amy, the law of probability says that even when something is unlikely, it is still at least relatively possible." Sheldon said, reasonably. "We've obviously been having coitus unprotected for almost two weeks since your appointment; you could be pregnant right now and we would not even know it."

"I doubt it." Amy replied. "I have irregular ovulation…"

"But…You still have your menses, don't you?"

"Yes, but haven't you ever noticed that it's irregular?"

"I thought that was down to taking the pill."

Amy shook her head. "My mother always used to make me get some form of contraception, even though I was never sexually active. I stopped when we first got together, then after two years, I started taking it again." She explained, "It never regulated."

"Oh…" Sheldon looked downcast.

"If this means you want to leave me, I'll understand." Amy said.

"Are you crazy? What makes you think I'd ever leave you?" Sheldon asked, taken aback.

"Well I know you wanted to try for a baby, but…"

"Yes, but not just with anyone. I'm not interested in anyone else and never will be. Nobody else is you, so why would I want them? It's you I love."

Amy smiled.

"Besides, I highly doubt anyone else would manage to produce a highly intelligent offspring, other than you!" Sheldon finished. "Everything we do together is perfect."

"Thank you." Amy replied, softly, and then took a breath. "So…what now?"

"I don't know." Sheldon shrugged. "We can still try to conceive naturally. It hasn't quite been ruled out, has it?"

"No, but we could be trying for years. We're 31 and 32 years old Sheldon, we could be hitting 40 by the time we finally have a child." Amy sighed.

"Consider this…" Sheldon said, turning to fully face Amy. "We set ourselves deadline, and if nothing happens by then…Then we'll just have to accept that it might not ever happen. Then we'll have to look into other options."

"The only other option is IVF." Amy said, "If we want the child to be our own. I'm not even going to consider anything else."

Sheldon nodded. "Then we can do that."

Amy frowned. "I can't believe we're having such a grown-up conversation…You especially!"

"Hey!" Sheldon replied, "I am perfectly capable of having adult conversations!" He swatted her playfully, "What chances have they given you?"

"30%-40% chance." Amy made a face.

Sheldon nodded. "30 and 40 are greater than 0." He said, "It hasn't been completely ruled out, like I said."

"I know, but it's not much." Amy replied.

"Look at me." Sheldon said, and Amy looked up. "Remember in those extremely disturbing sex education lessons we had to take at school?"

"Ugh…Yes?"

"Well, they always told us to use protection if we planned on having sex at a young age or unmarried, because it only takes one time to get a girl pregnant."

"I know, but…"

"_But _the girls don't know that they may be infertile too, even then. I mean, they could have endometriosis or polycystic ovaries, or Lord knows what else, and yet they could become pregnant from that one time. So what's to say that you won't?"

Sheldon had a point.

"And having a fertility test with bad results only causes stress, and stress could also be a factor. Just remember that there _is _still a chance…Think of it as another Schrodinger experiment. You could get pregnant or you couldn't get pregnant; the only way of knowing is to just try." He summarised.

Amy nodded. "You're right…Wow, thank you Sheldon." She hugged him, and he squeezed her. "And again, thank you for being so adult and okay about this."

"Anything for you, Mrs Cooper." He replied.

Amy pulled back. "I think you'll find it's _Doctor _Cooper!" She grinned.

"So…We were going to have coitus anyway…Should we continue?" Sheldon asked.

"I think we should."

"Would you like me to wear a condom or not?"

Amy shook her head slowly.

She and Sheldon sat on the bed, and locked the door.

Their lips met, and they kissed passionately.

After quickly undressing, they lay down on the bed, side by side, still not breaking contact.

Amy reached down and took Sheldon's erection in her hand, gliding her hand up and down his soft skin.

She felt him groan in pleasure against her mouth, and he returned the favour, caressing her spot, before shyly inserting a finger.

Her breathing became heavy, and she felt herself needing him, her hips moving in time with his hand, as he did the same with hers.

"I need you now." She breathed.

Sheldon took his hand away, and slowly filled her entirely, as their bodies moved in rhythm with each other.

Knowing that his entire length was inside her, Amy needed to find another way to stimulate him further.

She ran her hand down his body until it reached his scrotum, and she massaged it slowly.

Sheldon took a sharp intake of breath, his entire body rippling with pleasure.

"Oh my God, Amy!" He breathed, "Keep doing that."

She obliged as her husband lowered his lips to her right breast, taking it in his mouth and suckling and licking on her nipple.

Their thrusts became harder and faster, as their moans of pleasure filled the air.

Sheldon felt Amy tighten and engulf him in wetness as she released, crying out his name.

He came in a rush, shocking both of them. "Oh… Amy…!"

They lay for a while, panting.

"Well…I think it's safe to say I ejaculated a lot!" Sheldon said at last.

"Yep. One of your guys is bound to find one egg, right?" Amy asked.

Sheldon shrugged. "Maybe. I'd like to think so."

Amy cuddled him, and he wrapped his arms around her, too, kissing her hair.


	38. Chapter 38

The following morning, Sheldon noted that Amy's spirits had been lifted and she seemed happier.

As they sat down to breakfast, Amy spoke up:

"I think we should take Scooby to the park."

Sheldon choked on his food. "Ohhh no! I object."

"Why?"

"Parks are full of evil."

Amy frowned. "Again…Why?"

"Do you know what kind of youth hang around there? They are rude, loud and violent graffiti-can-wielding devil spawn!" Sheldon replied.

"What makes you think they'd give us any trouble?" Amy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Amy, look at us. We're skinny, weak-looking scientists. They can smell fear."

"Sheldon, we're adults. They probably won't even bother. It's not like we're taking him in a stroller like Raj does with Cinnamon! He's a dog on a leash, and we're two adults. Enough of the negativity!" Amy kissed him to shut him up.

It worked for a few moments.

"Okay but if any little 'gangsters' say or do anything to us, I'll let the dog off his lead and make him bite them." Sheldon said.

Scooby pricked his ears and woofed as if confirming this.

Amy shook her head, smiling. "Fair enough. Come on…Time for walkies."

..

Arriving at the park, Sheldon was pleased to see that nobody was around, other than a few other people with their dogs.

"See?" Amy smiled triumphantly, "Nothing to worry about."

Sheldon bent down and let Scooby off his lead, letting him tear off across the grass at a rapid pace, then whirl around and sprint back again with his tongue lolling.

Amy produced a ball wrapped in a plastic bag out of her bag, and threw it.

"Hmm…So much for my throwing skills improving with age." She grimaced.

"Mine are no better." Sheldon replied, as Scooby returned with the ball in his mouth, dropping it at his 'parents' feet and wagging his tail expectantly.

Bending down to retrieve it, Sheldon recoiled. "Jeepers, that's gross!"

Amy laughed. "It's only dog slobber, you big baby."

But Sheldon was too busy smothering his hands in sanitizer at this point.

Amy picked up the ball and threw it again.

They made their way to a bench and sat down.

"You know, you'll have to throw the ball for him sometime." Amy said.

"Alright. How does 'in a million years' sound?" Sheldon responded.

"Yeah, that doesn't work for me." Amy fumbled in her bag and produced a pair of blue latex gloves. "I always keep two pairs in my bag for emergencies. These are clean and haven't been used yet; use them when you throw the ball for Scooby."

Sheldon took them and smiled gratefully. "Thank you." He said, kissing Amy on the lips. "You have no idea how at ease this makes me feel."

"Oh, I do." Amy replied as she watched her husband pull the gloves on and pick up the ball.

He threw it as far as he could, which incidentally wasn't very far, and watched Scooby race after it, picking it up in his mouth and running back.

"You like that don't you?" Sheldon grinned at the dog, as he bent down to pick the ball up again, only to be knocked over by a very affectionate Scooby, who was insistent upon licking Sheldon's face.

Amy burst out laughing and hurried over to rescue her husband.

"No! Scooby…Down! Sit…That is an order!" Sheldon was saying, as he shielded his face.

"Scooby, here!" Amy called, and the Fox Terrier bounded over to her, only to have the lead clipped back onto his collar. "Time out for you, mister!"

Amy brought out her wet wipes, and helped Sheldon up, cleaning off his face.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Sheldon nodded breathlessly, then started laughing. "That dog is a menace!" He said fondly.

"He's only playing. Cheeky little fox!" Amy grinned.

"Just like his mother." Sheldon replied.

The two of them fell silent.

"Um…Sheldon. Huge difference in species here." Amy frowned, "unless you are implying that I'm a dog, in which case I'll take offence."

"No! No, I didn't mean that at all…" Sheldon replied, "I meant the cheeky fox part…And well, technically we are his adoptive parents."

Amy nodded. "Just a question…Why _do _you call me a vixen?"

Sheldon swallowed. "Uh…Well, because you're very cheeky, sneaky and sly like a fox…But also because you're very…foxy."

Amy snorted. "No way."

"Yes way, actually."

Rolling up the wet wipe and tossing it in a nearby trashcan, Amy frowned. "I'm not attractive in the slightest." She said.

"You are to me." Sheldon replied softly. "In so many ways. That's why what we have is so special and people don't understand…They're all about looking for someone 'hot'" Sheldon air-quoted. "I always thought our relationship was deeper than that."

"Aww!" Amy grinned, standing on tiptoes and locking lips with him.

As the two scientists stood in a passionate embrace, Scooby woofed impatiently, breaking them apart.

"Alright, alright…" Sheldon said, unhooking the lead and letting Scooby run free around the park again.

Scooby found another dog to play with, and took great delight in racing him across the grass, stopping only to relieve himself.

"Job for you." Amy said, holding out a plastic bag.

Sheldon stared, terrified at the bag. "You want me to…?"

Amy nodded. "I've done it every time. About time you did. Go on…Pick it up."

"I don't want to." Sheldon whined.

"Well, it's illegal to leave it there. You'll have to learn sometime. If we do have a baby, the diapers will need changing and momma needs her sleep at some point!" Amy persisted, holding out the bag.

Sheldon sighed. "Fine."

He walked over to where Scooby had left his 'present' on the grass, and picked it up with the bag, turning it inside out and tying it up, tossing it in the doggy bin.

"I did it!" He said, triumphantly. "Without getting it on my hands!"

"Good for you." Amy smiled, holding out the hand sanitizer and squeezing some onto Sheldon's hands.

Scooby finished his game with the other dog and came bounding over, barking excitedly, dancing and skipping around.

"Okay, time to go home, Scooby." Amy announced, clipping his lead back on. "Then we can give you a bath!"

At the word 'bath', Scooby grew increasingly excited and pulled on his lead, eager to get back to the suite.

..

Back at the suite, Sheldon and Amy flopped onto the couch, exhausted.

"I'm so tired!" Sheldon sighed, "Too much exercise."

"We only walked." Amy pointed out.

"Too much." Sheldon added.

"So I'm guessing sex is out of the question later?" Amy asked.

"Why would it be?" Sheldon frowned. "If we're trying to conceive, I'll spend all day engaging in intercourse with you if I can."

"I'll hold you to that!" Amy grinned.

Scooby had retired to his basket to sleep for a while.

"Do you fancy take-out for lunch?" Amy asked. "We can order a pizza and get it delivered…Unless you want Thai or Chinese?"

"But then dinner will be ruined." Sheldon frowned.

"Live a little. We're in Florida!" Amy replied.

"I think I've let loose quite enough already." Sheldon pointed out.

"So? Two dinners in one day won't kill you."

"On the contrary; too much carbohydrate intake could lead to diabetes or heart failure. Not to mention the…"

Sheldon was cut off, as Amy launched herself at him, kissing him intensely and nibbling his bottom lip.

Sheldon sought permission to insert his tongue and run it along Amy's.

"Mmm" Amy breathed, as she felt his weight bear down on her, sliding them further down on the couch, until they were lying down.

Scooby snorted and whined, covering his eyes with a paw.

His noises interrupted the couple and their heated moment.

They looked up.

"Maybe we should take this to the bedroom." Sheldon whispered.

"No it's okay. It's lunchtime and I'm ordering us a pizza. But later, Doctor Cooper…" Amy said in a sultry voice as she stood up, "…You're all mine!"

Sheldon's pupils dilated and he breathed heavily, feeling extremely turned on. "This is _exactly_ why you're my vixen!"


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! Smut and fluff warning for this chapter!**

**..**

Once their pizza had arrived, Amy made her way to the reception to collect and pay for it.

Arriving back at the suite, she noticed that Sheldon had opened the balcony doors, letting the warm air into the room.

"Mm, it's beautiful out there!" Amy smiled.

"It's more beautiful in here." Sheldon replied, looking meaningfully at Amy.

Amy smiled. "Nice try; I still say we do it later."

"You're mean!" Sheldon pouted. "Anyway, I thought we could eat out on the balcony. What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea." Amy replied, grabbing some paper plates and napkins and two bottles of water, whilst Sheldon took out the pizza box.

As he and Amy sat on the balcony, enjoying the view, Sheldon noticed that Amy had brought her camera out and was snapping photos of the view from the balcony, and then began snapping photos of Sheldon.

"Amy…If you're going to take photos of me, at least be in them too." He requested.

She scooted closer, then thought better of it and sat on his lap, turning the camera around to shoot a photo of the two of them.

Reviewing the photo, Amy burst out laughing. "You look like a rabbit caught in headlights!"

Sheldon grabbed the camera and frowned. "Oh Lord…delete that please and take another one."

"You have to pose, Sheldon."

"I'm not a girl."

"Okay, well smile then."

Sheldon smiled his creepy smile, and Amy's eyes widened. "Um excuse me, Joker, but is my husband in there?"

Sheldon gave her a withering look, wiping the terrifying look off his face. "While I'm impressed that you know who the Joker is, I object to being compared to him. Your punishment is being disallowed to take a photo with me. Off you get!" He started trying to tip Amy off his lap, but she grabbed on.

He tried to lift her up, but Amy held on to the chair for dear life, looping the camera strap round her wrist so that it wouldn't fall.

She started laughing as Sheldon failed to lift her off, and as he started laughing too, she quickly turned the camera around and snapped a photo of both of them.

"Yes! That's it!" She cried triumphantly, reviewing the photo and seeing a perfect natural shot of her sitting on Sheldon's lap, both laughing.

"Oh, I like that!" He smiled. "But you still need to get off."

"Or what, big boy?" Amy challenged, teasingly

"Or else I'll tickle you!" Sheldon started tickling her in the sides, making her laugh louder and squirm.

"It will never work Sheldon!" Amy was saying between laughter, "I am the almighty Vixen; nothing can stop me!"

"Oh, is that so?" Sheldon raised his eyebrows, and began to unbutton Amy's shorts, with his free hand.

He found his way past her panty line and dug deeper, his finger finding her spot and rubbing intensely.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked, catching her breath.

"You wouldn't get off!" Sheldon replied. "I did warn you."

"I thought it was supposed to be a punishment? Not a reward."

"What greater punishment than tipping you over the edge of unbearable pleasure?" Sheldon asked huskily, into her ear.

That sentence and his tone of voice drove Amy wild, and she was soon writing against his hand, feeling his growing arousal pressing against the small of her back.

She stood up, removing her shorts and panties completely, placing them on the vacant chair, as she helped Sheldon pull off his pants and underwear, before seating herself back on his lap and teasingly grinding against his erection.

He returned his finger back to where it was; feeling a wetness as he slowly fingered her.

Amy was softly moaning now. "Oh God…Sheldon…I need you now."

"I'm sorry, who do you need?" He teased, leaning his face closer to hers, his lips just out of reach of hers.

"I need you _Doctor Cooper. _My Texan stud!"

Driven completely wild, Sheldon pushed himself into her, groaning softly as he did so.

Amy ground against him hard as their lips finally met in a passionate and intense kiss.

"Want to do something hot?" She whispered.

"Aren't we kind of already doing something hot?" Sheldon replied.

"I think we should document this moment on camera too." Amy winked.

Sheldon frowned. "Provided that it ONLY stays between you and me, I'll agree to that." He said. "Promise me."

"Uh-huh." Amy nodded, positioning the camera above them so that she could take the picture.

Sheldon stopped, and Amy moaned. "Don't stop, keep going."

"I will if you promise me that picture will not go to Penny or Bernadette or anyone we know. In fact, anyone at all. That picture is ours and our only…Promise?" Sheldon begged.

"I promise Sheldon." Amy replied…"I mean, I promise, _Dr Cooper. _Cross my heart and hope to die._"_

"Thank you my Vixen," Sheldon replied, continuing to move his hips against Amy as she quickly snapped a picture, before putting the camera down and bucking her hips forward, feeling orgasm approaching.

She moaned louder, burying her head in Sheldon's neck, as he took hold of her hips and held them in place so that he could thrust deeper and harder.

"Oh my God…Sheldon, don't stop…I'm going to…"

She let out a loud cry as she finally let go, and came in a rush.

"Oh God…Amy!" He called out, releasing seconds after her, for what felt like eternity.

They collapsed on each other, still sat upright, and sweating.

It took a few moments for them to realize where they were.

Sheldon blinked. "We…We just had sex on the balcony?...With all these people around?!"

Amy was breathless. "Yep…Oh wow, that was the best sex we've ever had!" She sighed dreamily.

"It certainly was." Sheldon agreed. "So good that, strangely, I don't care who saw us! So…Let's see that picture!"

Amy grabbed the camera and clicked on the preview, until the image filled the camera's screen.

"Wow! We look good!" Sheldon commented. "But please keep to your promise."

"Of course I will." Amy nodded, kissing him lovingly. "I'll upload it and save it onto the laptop though; nobody ever goes on there. I can then Bluetooth it to your phone if you like?"

"Sure. Thank you." Sheldon replied. "I shall enjoy looking at that!...I can't believe how dirty we were!" He whispered, laughing.

"I have been a bad influence on you, haven't I, stud?" Amy purred.

"I don't mind." Sheldon answered, "And by the way, that whole 'Texan stud' thing? I liked that a lot, my Vixen!"

"I'm glad, my Texan stud!" Amy grinned, "But can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Sheldon replied.

"What will happen when we return home?"

"What do you mean?"

Amy swallowed. "I mean…Will we go back to our old ways again? No touching, no sex, no kisses…"

Sheldon frowned. "I don't see why we would." He replied, "We're married now, and this transfer has changed both of us. It's made us do things we never used to do, feel things we never felt, and say things we'd never say! When we go home…Well, technically only one of us will be going home."

Amy frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean…Move in with me Amy." Sheldon said, taking her hand, "You're my wife, and we should live together. We have managed perfectly here, and home shouldn't change that."

"But…Back in California, we weren't physical or intimate or anything. Even getting you to say how you felt caused us problems…I'm scared to go home." Amy admitted.

"California was where I made the decision to come after you and tell you how I felt." Sheldon pointed out, "Feelings and progression don't change according to what state we're in."

Amy smiled. "You really mean that?"

"I do…I didn't marry you because we were out here. I married you because I love you, and you make me happy and make me a better person. Nobody else has the ability to make me feel the way you do, or do things I've never done. Where we are is not a constant…But we are." Sheldon said softly, tilting her chin up.

Amy's eyes filled with tears, and she saw Sheldon flinch.

"Amy, why are you crying? I…"

"Oh my God, Sheldon. When did you become so romantic?" She threw her arms around his neck and held him tightly, letting her tears flow.

"Wait…I'm confused as to why you're crying if you're not sad?" He asked.

"These are happy tears." He heard Amy sob.

"Oh…" He frowned, "So I make you happy?"

"More than ever." Amy confirmed as she sat back upright and wiped her eyes.

Sniffing, she composed herself with a deep breath. "And I would love to live with you." She smiled.

Sheldon smiled back. "I'm glad…Anyway…Our pizza is getting cold and we are still out here with no pants on!" He looked down.

"Oh crap!" Amy exclaimed, quickly pulling her panties and shorts back on, as Sheldon re-dressed himself and allowed Amy to sit back on his lap as they tucked into their pizza, staring out over the hotel gardens and the sea.

"I'd love to live by the sea in California one day." Amy sighed.

"Really?" Sheldon asked. "That's a long way from either of our jobs."

"I know, but…"

"Maybe we could rent a Summer house." Sheldon suggested. "Somewhere to come on vacation, and when we have children, they can enjoy the pool and the beach while we sit on our loungers, doing our work!"

Amy blinked. "I love that idea! But wait…_Children_? I thought we were planning one!"

"For now." Sheldon nodded.

"How many do you see us having?" Amy inquired.

"Three." Sheldon answered.

"Is that because of your obsessive compulsive thing?" Amy asked, biting into her slice of pizza.

"Hmm, yes and no."

"Explain."

"Well," Sheldon swallowed his mouthful of food. "Mainly yes, but also no because I was a middle child and look how I turned out! My guess is that if we have three children, they will already be prodigies, but our middle child will be the smartest of them all…Like I was!"

Amy laughed. "You're a twin, right?"

"Sadly, yes."

"Well…Does that mean that I could one day get pregnant with twins if they run in the male side of your family?"

Sheldon looked skywards, thoughtfully. "Possibly."

"So…I go into this whole thing thinking that I could never have one baby, and then all of a sudden…'congratulations, you're having twins'?" Amy laughed.

"There's a high chance. My father was a twin, I'm a twin, my grandpa on my dad's side was a twin…"

"Holy crap!"

"Yeah. It hasn't skipped a generation for about 4 generations now…I did some research on my family history. And the possibility of me impregnating you with twins is apparently between 60-70%."

Amy blinked and swallowed hard. "Uh…I hope there's no family history of triplets?"

"Actually, there was one case back in 1783; he and his wife had triplets. His name was Edward Cooper." Sheldon recalled.

"Oh…Okay." Amy replied, feeling worried.

"But that's very unlikely to happen." Sheldon said, quickly, seeing the panic on Amy's face. "That was centuries ago."

"But…Twins?"

"It might not happen right away!" Sheldon said, "It might not happen at all, but the probability of it happening is pretty high, that's all."

"Oh…No worries then." Amy said, sarcastically.

"Why are you so afraid? More to the point, why am I not?" Sheldon frowned.

"I'm terrified about one day having to pass two babies through my uterus on the same day!" Amy admitted. "It's okay for you; you don't have to go through the pain of childbirth and pregnancy!"

Sheldon bit his lip. "True, but I'm still terrified. I mean it's _me! _The man who's afraid of germs, who used to be afraid of any form of intimacy or human contact. The man who panicked about picking up dog poop in a park! This is a huge thing for me, too."

"Then why don't we just not have one?" Amy shrugged. "Simple."

"Is it though?" Sheldon asked.

"Well…No, but…"

"The choice is ultimately yours, Vixen." Sheldon spoke softly. "You'd be the mother and the one responsible for carrying the baby…or _babies. _I know you've been back and forth with this, and if it's not what you want, then…Then that's fine."

"No I want it!" Amy protested. "And that's the truth. I do want your children. The thought of having two at a time is a little intimidating!"

"I'll be there."

"Yeah, but it will gross you out Sheldon. I know you…You hate hospitals; you hate blood and gore and icky stuff. How would you cope with me in labor and giving birth? You'd probably pass out."

Sheldon held Amy's gaze firmly. "You know I hate seeing things incomplete or unfinished? Well, if I'm to put babies _in _you, you can be rest assured I'll be there when they're coming _out_!"

Amy smiled and nodded. "Okay…I feel much better now that we've had a proper, adult talk about this. Thank you Sheldon."

"I'm glad." Sheldon replied, finishing his half of the pizza and wiping his hands on a napkin. "And thank you, Amy."

She frowned. "For what?"

"For making me human."

..

**A/N: So this chapter was longer than my last ones, and I decided to make them give each other pet names! That's it for tonight's double upload. Thank you for reading and reviewing ;) Chapter 40 coming soon! **


	40. Chapter 40

Amy was woken by the radio the next morning.

"That's odd." she frowned. "I set it to 'alarm', not 'radio'." Yet she made no effort to turn it off.

She heard a small woof, and looked over the side of the bed, where Scooby sat, wagging his tail.

"Did you do this?" She chuckled.

Scooby hung his tongue out and stood up, trotting into the kitchen.

Amy got to her feet and went to feed Scooby before heading into the bathroom, where she bumped into Sheldon who was just leaving the room.

"All ready for you." He smiled, kissing her before she closed the door.

Once Amy was done, she returned to the bedroom, where Sheldon was lying back down, listening to the radio.

"I never made much time to listen to music." He commented. "It's not so bad."

Amy smiled and started to get changed, dancing along to the pop song that was playing.

Sheldon propped himself up on his elbows and watched her.

As Amy spun around to see her husband watching her, she narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Watching you."

"I'm dancing, Sheldon. Want to join me?"

He shook his head. "I have a better idea!" He took her hand and pulled her on top of him, kissing her passionately.

The kiss grew heated and they began to remove each other's clothing, pawing at each other like animals in heat.

The radio started playing _Jump for my Love, _which they both found ironic.

Their eyes met as they stopped for breath and rolled over so that Sheldon was on top, only to be flipped over by Amy again!

As Sheldon entered her, Amy sat upright, pulling him with her and kissing him feverishly as they rocked together.

Scooby trotted into the room, to find his 'parents' were otherwise engaged.

He cocked his head and then fled from the room as if embarrassed.

Amy and Sheldon didn't notice as they both neared orgasm and climaxed loudly together.

"Oh wow…Three and a half minutes. That's beyond terrible!" Sheldon shook his head. "We're better than that!"

Amy grinned. "There's nothing wrong with a quickie, Sheldon. Besides, we were kind of racing against the song!"

He nodded in reply. "The song was scarily appropriate!"

Amy smiled again, feeling giddy as she kissed him and stood up.

"Are you okay?" Sheldon asked, noticing that Amy almost fell over.

"I think I stood up too fast!" She replied. "I'm okay." She pulled her work clothes on and brushed her hair, before applying some light make-up.

"I wish you didn't have to work today." Sheldon pouted.

"Me too, but I have to." Amy replied apologetically. "Since when were you so needy and dependent on human company?"

"Since I met you." He replied, without skipping a beat.

"That's very sweet." She smiled, gathering up her things into her bag. "I fed Scooby, so he will just need his lunch at his scheduled time."

"Alright." Sheldon nodded, pulling on a long-sleeved undershirt and one of his usual printed shirts over the top.

Rolling up the long sleeves, he started on his pants, selecting his burgundy pair.

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Um…That shirt with those pants?"

Sheldon looked at her carefully. "You've been hanging out with Penny too much." He said, "Okay then, Mrs Smartypants, what would you suggest?"

"Well, Mr Moody, I would wear black or white with those pants." She replied, opening Sheldon's side of the walk-in closet.

"So…not green?" He asked.

"Oh dear God no!" Amy wrinkled her nose up, as she peered in the closet and pulled out a couple of shirts.

"I think this for underneath, and this on top." She said, holding up the shirts.

"Fair enough. But do you know what I think should go on top?" He asked, smiling coyly.

"I'm guessing me?" Amy grinned.

"No…Me!" Sheldon replied, "I guarantee this time we will last longer if we turn that infernal radio off!"

"I don't have time, but I promise to give it to you good when I get home!" Amy answered as Sheldon pulled on the shirts that Amy had provided.

"I will hold you to that." Sheldon smiled, as he looked down at his appearance, and then looked in the mirror. "Oh…Yes, this looks much better! Thank you Amy." He kissed her lovingly. "Hurry back later."

"I will." Amy promised, grabbing her key and phone off its charger. "I love you."

"I love you too." Sheldon replied as they kissed one last time, closing the door.

..

"Dr Cooper. Have you finished your report on Soleil and her social phobia?"

Amy looked up at Professor Roberts, who had approached her desk.

"Yes sir." She nodded, reaching into her drawer to retrieve it, and handing it over.

"Thank you," Professor Roberts smiled. "I'll look over it, and we have a new subject in today that I'd like you to take a look at."

Amy grinned. "Sure, but I bet they'll be nothing like Soleil!"

"You really bonded with that gorgeous bottlenose, didn't you?" Professor Roberts said softly. "She is a very special dolphin, but she was ready to be freed again after the treatment."

"I know." Amy nodded sadly. "I've been working in neurobiology for almost fifteen years; I should know better than to become attached to subjects. It happened with a Capuchin monkey once back home…He eventually died from lung cancer."

"Oh no," Professor Roberts frowned. "I'm sorry…How did he contract that?"

"He was one of our nicotine addiction study subjects."

Professor Roberts' eyes flew wide. "UCLA use animal testing?!"

Amy shifted uncomfortably. "Well…Yes. We do use humans too, but we use monkeys and rats mostly. If it helps, I'm not really comfortable with it myself. And…No offence sir, but you have dolphins here."

"Yes, but we never use drugs unless completely necessary, and we never test new drugs on our subjects." He replied softly, "We treat them humanely and using dolphin-friendly techniques, as you have seen and been a part of. It's been successful every time."

Amy frowned.

Now that she thought of it, Soleil's problems had been cured by using natural therapies as opposed to drugs.

A horrible thought occurred to her; she didn't like the way her university back home tested on animals, and she felt a lot more comfortable here at the Fitzpatrick Marine Biology Facility.

"I…I need to make a call." Amy said, her voice breaking as she made her way to the phone in the hall.

It was empty in the hallway as Amy dialled the number and waited.

"Hello? This is Dr Amy Cooper…Yes, Amy Farrah Fowler then…It's wonderful, thank you. Actually I called to see if there is a chance that you could use humans as test subjects as opposed to animals?...Yes, well you see, I've become comfortable with the animal-friendly techniques that they use here, and I am uncomfortable with the animal testing we practise at UCLA... I understand that, of course, but…"

Her heart sank as she listened to the reply.

Swallowing, she bit her lip. "I'm sorry, but that doesn't work for me. I'm going to hand in my resignation upon my return. I can't keep doing something I don't believe in. I quit."

She hung up the phone, and took a deep breath, covering her face with her hands.

Feeling an overwhelming surge of guilt and hurt for the animals that old job were refusing to stop testing on, Amy began to cry.

She felt an arm on her shoulder, and looked round to find David comforting her.

"I hope you don't mind…I heard your conversation when I came out of the restroom. I think you did the right thing." He comforted.

"Thank you David." She sniffed. "I feel so stupid. My contract here is only five months, and I only have three left. I need to find a new job in LA for when I return."

"Come on, let's grab a coffee." David said, as he led Amy to the cafeteria.

They got their drinks and sat at a table by the window, staring out at the ocean and the release tank gates, where dolphins were taken to be released back into the wild.

"What made you come to this decision?" David asked.

"Oh, it's stupid…" Amy made a face.

"I'm sure it isn't. You can tell me, and I will listen."

"Okay…I just form such a strong bond with animals, and when they die from the effects of the testing, it kills me a little more inside. Not only that but I formed a really strong bond with Soleil, and now I have a pet of my own…I hate to see any harm come to an animal unnecessarily. I can't work around that any more. Especially if I'm going to have a baby."

David's eyes widened. "You're pregnant? Congratulations!"

"Oh, no I'm not! Not yet…I don't even know if I can _get_ pregnant." Amy replied. "I have…Well I have a problem. It's not totally impossible for me, but there's a high chance it might not happen."

"I'm sorry." David replied gently. "You know, Emily had the same news, and then lo and behold, we conceived Alicia! By some miracle! Maybe it will happen for you and Sheldon…Are you trying?"

"Yeah," Amy nodded, "And don't get me started on miracles! Sheldon doesn't believe in them…Or anything that sounds remotely religious."

"I used to be like that." David nodded, "And then Emily changed me, and Alicia too. I think you and Sheldon are perfect for each other. I've never met someone so much like me in my life; it's clear as day that he used to be as uptight as I did and that you've changed him for the better. It has to happen for you. He'll have to believe in miracles if you do get pregnant!" David grinned, draining the rest of his coffee.

"Oh I don't think so." Amy laughed, "He's made so many changes, but I don't think his views will be one of them!"

"We'll see." David smiled. "But seriously Amy, that phonecall took guts! If you're planning to have a child, of course you don't want to work somewhere that tests on animals. It really does damage a lot. I used to work in the same job as you; I was a biologist and our place tested on animals, but when Emily fell pregnant, I realized I couldn't do it anymore. I had to go somewhere a little more humane. Otherwise Alicia might grow up to think that animal testing is 'normal' or 'right', or she will get disturbed and upset by it. You never know…It's damaging. I watched two of my colleagues' kids break down over it."

Amy smiled. "I need to think long-term now. I didn't like it either; I much prefer being here. I wish I could stay,"

"There's actually a dolphin research facility over in Los Angeles; we are partnered with them actually; they do exactly the same work as us under the same name. Why don't you and Sheldon join me, Emily and Professor Roberts and his wife for dinner to discuss it one day this week?" David offered. "He could set you up with a permanent job there."

Amy blinked. "Really?"

"That's what friends are for." David smiled. "Emily loved meeting you too, you two got on like a house on fire!"

"Okay, well if we can get that organized, that'd be great. Thank you David!" Amy smiled, giving him a swift, friendly hug as they stood up.

"No problem. It's like you and Sheldon are our long lost brother and sister!" David grinned. "And as that saying goes; friends are the family we choose for ourselves. Family help each other out!"

"Thanks." Amy smiled. "Now, I have a new dolphin to meet!"

..

Returning home to the suite hat afternoon, Amy sighed as she kicked off her shoes and put her slippers on, flopping on the couch with Scooby joining her.

Sheldon was in the kitchen and noticed that Amy had returned.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

"I quit my job back home." She replied. "I hated that they tested on animals…I've been working humanely with the dolphins and using natural remedies and therapies. If we do have a child, the fact that her mother works in an animal testing lab could be very damaging! I need a job where I can believe in what I do, not something I hate doing and feel guilty about. Testing on animals is not something I ever enjoyed, but I stuck with it because it was my job. Now…"

Sheldon blinked. "I see."

"You think I'm crazy don't you?" Amy grimaced.

"Not at all." Sheldon replied, sitting the other side of Amy. "On the contrary; I think that was a wise decision."

"David spoke to me though, and he wants me and you to meet him and Emily for dinner, but with my boss and maybe his wife too, so that we can discuss me taking up the same post in the LA facility of the Fitzpatrick Facility."

"That's fantastic!"

Amy smiled softly. "Do you mind if we don't have sex tonight? I know I promised, but I just have a lot to think about. I'm stressed and cuddling would be perfect."

"Of course." Sheldon replied, shifting into position so that Amy could lean against him as they cuddled.

He rested his chin on her head as he held her and closed his eyes. "I'll make you dinner tonight if you want? I can do spaghetti and hot dogs?"

Amy smiled. "That's very thoughtful Sheldon, but…"

"Say no more. Take out it is." Sheldon said, "And for the record, I think you did the right thing."

..


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: I never thanked those of you who reviewed in my last chapter, so double thank you :)**

**..**

It was Friday night when Amy and Sheldon had arranged to go to dinner with David, Emily and Professor Roberts.

The Professor had brought his wife Sandy along, and the group were sat at a table in Ruby Tuesday, finishing off their meals and conversing over glasses of wine.

Even Sheldon had relented and agreed to drink one glass of wine.

"So, Amy, I have just spoken to our Los Angeles branch, and they've agreed that once your transfer is over, you can take up the same post at their facility! They look forward to having you." Professor Roberts grinned as he returned to the table after going outside to make a quick call.

Amy gasped. "Really? That's great news! Thank you so much Professor Roberts."

"Amy, I told you; outside of work, please call me Jack." He replied. "And you are very welcome.

"Thank you so much! Oh and David, thank you for all your help too. You've all been so wonderful to me!" She smiled.

David nodded shyly.

Sheldon stood up. "I'd like to propose a toast to my beautiful wife, and her new job…Not to mention to all of you who have made us both feel welcome here. To Amy and friendship."

"Amy and friendship!" Everyone repeated, clinking glasses.

"So Amy, I love the cardigan you're wearing." Sandy smiled, leaning across to talk to Amy and Emily whilst the men talked science. "Where did you get it?"

"Oh, it's just a Target cardigan." Amy replied.

"It looks so formal though! I'd have thought it was boutique." Emily piped up. "We all need to go shopping before you go back to LA. Maybe have a few Girls' Nights?"

"That sounds great!" Amy replied.

"I'd love that." Sandy nodded.

"You know, I used to have Girls' Nights with my friends back home…" Amy broke off suddenly, remembering Penny and Bernadette.

Penny had been in Florida not so long ago, but now it felt like a lifetime.

And Amy hadn't seen Bernadette in over two months!

Looking at her new friends, she tried to find traces of her best friends from back home in them.

Emily, with her dyed blonde hair and her bright, fitted clothes and bubbly, friendly manner, reminded her so much of Penny.

Sandy was more reserved, and wore sensible but still stylish clothing. Although quieter and older than Emily, she was still talkative and friendly. Just like Bernadette.

Amy self-consciously looked down at herself, and realized that even though so much had changed for her, she was still the same.

With the boring, plain clothes, and the way she spoke, she was still just Amy.

For some reason, she felt alone even though she had a wonderful group of friends, and she felt…Inadequate.

She blinked and swallowed. "Excuse me." She whispered, getting to her feet and heading outside.

Sheldon frowned and excused himself, following Amy outside.

He found her leaning against the wall, staring across the parking lot over at the parade of stores opposite the restaurant.

"Amy?"

Sheldon's gentle voice cut through the air, making Amy look up.

He noted that her eyes were shining and in the lamplight, they looked red.

She had been crying.

He slowly walked over and slipped an arm around her, wordlessly.

"Do…Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"You don't want to hear it." Amy shook her head.

"If I didn't want to hear it, I wouldn't have asked." Sheldon replied.

Sighing, Amy turned to look at him.

"I miss our friends." She said. "I miss Penny and Bernadette. I miss Leonard, I miss Raj…Hell, I even miss Howard!"

Sheldon nodded. "Well, don't tell them I told you this, but so do I."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Oh." Amy nodded slowly.

"You saw Penny and Bernadette in Emily and Sandy didn't you?" Sheldon asked.

"How do you know?"

"Because I can see it too." Sheldon shrugged. "Just like I see a bit of Leonard in David, and a bit of both Raj and Howard in Jack."

Amy frowned. "How are Howard or Raj like Professor Roberts?"

"Well, he is sensitive and caring, like Raj. Yet even though his job is something that is hardly noteworthy, he is still very good at it, and he exudes confidence." Sheldon replied.

Amy rolled her eyes. "Jack Roberts has a very important job!"

"He helps dolphins…"

"Yes; but he does it for science." Amy countered, "His work not only saves the lives of marine mammals, but it will also once and for all determine how close their brain chemistry is to ours, and if humans and dolphins could provide therapy for one another. Such as those with physical or mental disabilities."

Sheldon's eyes widened. "Hmm…Fair point. If successful, he could very well be on his way to winning a Nobel Prize!"

"Exactly." Amy replied. "As could some of his team; either here or in LA."

"Well…I hope you win one." Sheldon said softly.

"But it's _your _life dream, not mine." Amy replied.

"Yes, but imagine if we both won the prize!" Sheldon grinned. "Husband and wife both winning a Nobel Prize at the same time! How great would that be?"

"Very!" Amy agreed.

"And the celebratory sex that night would be phenomenal!" Sheldon finished, making Amy laugh.

"Anyway…" He continued. "We can Skype our friends back home tomorrow if you like? Or why don't you call Penny and Bernadette tonight?"

Amy nodded. "I will. Thanks Sheldon."

He smiled and kissed her on the lips, just as Emily and Sandy appeared outside.

"Hi Amy, are you okay?" Emily asked.

"We were worried about you." Sandy chipped in.

Sheldon kissed the top of Amy's head. "I'll go back inside and leave you ladies to talk." He said, smiling at the three of them as he wandered back towards the door and into the restaurant.

"I'm sorry," Amy said, "I just miss my friends back home."

"That's okay," Sandy smiled.

"Yeah; we'll keep you preoccupied until you go back home. I bet you can't wait to see them!" Emily finished.

"Thank you." Amy smiled.

Emily glanced across at the CVS pharmacy, which was still open. "What do you say we ditch the guys for a while and do a little late-night cosmetics shopping?" She grinned.

"Sounds good to me!" Sandy replied as she and Emily linked arms with Amy.

"I need your help to find a new look." Amy said, "I'm fed up with being the plain, boring one!"

"You're not plain and boring!" Sandy frowned.

"Yeah, you're the smart and sassy one!" Emily chuckled. "But if you want a makeover, then that's entirely up to you."

Amy nodded. "It's about time I had a change of appearance. Maybe tomorrow we could go proper shopping?"

"You're on!" Emily and Sandy replied, making their way through the pharmacy doors.

..

The following morning, Sheldon was awake and waiting for Amy to join him at the laptop ready to Skype their friends.

Amy had called Penny and Bernadette late last night, whilst they were hanging out together, and they were so happy to speak to her that they had ended up talking for an hour!

Amy emerged from the bedroom, back in her pajamas, but freshly showered and made up.

"Are you still tired?" Sheldon asked, noticing her pajamas.

"A little." Amy nodded. "My stomach hurts a little bit."

Sheldon frowned. "Oh…Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine." Amy nodded. "Probably something I ate last night."

"But I had the same as you, and I feel fine."

"Oh well, maybe it's just menstrual cramps. Come on, I want to see our friends." Amy pouted her lip and fluttered her eyelashes.

"Alright," Sheldon laughed, pulling the chair out next to him for Amy to sit on.

He pressed the 'call' button for Leonard's name and waited.

Leonard had agreed to gather everyone at the apartment so that they could all talk to Sheldon and Amy.

Eventually, Leonard picked up, and everyone's faces appeared on the screen.

"Hey lovebirds!" They chorused.

"Hello," Sheldon replied.

"Hi guys!" Amy grinned, waving into the camera. "We miss you so much!"

"We miss you too." Penny pouted. "Just over two months left now. We've been counting! You're halfway through!"

"I know! Hey, I didn't tell Penny and Bernadette last night because I wanted to tell all of you; I quit my job at UCLA, and I'll be working at the LA branch of the Fitzpatrick Marine Biology Facility!" Amy beamed.

"Oh wow, that's fantastic!" Leonard grinned.

"Congratulations." Raj added.

"We are so happy for you!" Penny and Bernadette chorused.

"That's great news Amy," Howard said, "You must be excited!"

"I am…Very excited!" Amy nodded. "It's so much more humane. I couldn't stand working with those poor animal testing subjects at the university anymore."

"Amy stood up to them!" Sheldon chimed in, proudly. "She told them she wouldn't work somewhere that performed inhumane tests that she didn't believe in, so she quit!"

"Wow! Good for you Amy!" Penny grinned.

"That's impressive; I'm glad you took a stand." Leonard added.

"Thank you." Amy blushed. "We have a new dolphin here called Zeus. He's over aggressive, so we're going to node him up and monitor his brain activity, and then find a suitable natural therapy for him once we figure out what's wrong with him."

"That sounds a lot more humane than drug testing." Bernadette agreed. "Our lab tests on monkeys, and I don't agree with it. Luckily, they stopped using animal subjects when some of us went on strike."

"Oh, I remember that!" Penny gasped.

"Yep. Bernie put up a good fight, and she won!" Howard grinned.

"Well…_we _won; it wasn't just me who protested." Bernadette blushed.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you; we made some new friends out here, and the girls are taking me shopping later for a whole new wardrobe! I can't wait to show you my new look when we get home!" Amy grinned to Penny and Bernadette.

"We look forward to it." Penny grinned, enthusiastically.

"To change the subject…I'd like to announce something." Sheldon spoke up.

Everyone stared at the screen expectantly, anticipating what he was going to say next.

"Although we've been met with some…Uh…Difficulties; Amy and I are trying to conceive a child." He said.

Everyone gasped.

"Oh my God…Really?!"

"That's amazing; good luck!"

"What do you mean by 'troubles'?"

Sheldon licked his lips. "Well, Amy has been told that conception may be difficult for her." He said, sadly. "But it is not totally impossible. So we are going to try for a while, and then if that doesn't work…Then…"

He didn't finish, but everyone nodded.

"You're going to go down the IVF route?" Leonard asked.

Sheldon and Amy nodded. "We want the baby to be our own." Sheldon explained.

"Well, I'm sure it will happen for you guys. Good luck!" Bernadette smiled.

"Yeah, you'll pull through." Penny nodded. "We're rooting for you, you dirty beasts!"

Sheldon laughed. "Thank you…I think."

He turned to look at Amy, who was clutching her stomach.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Mm…It hurts. I'm going to go lie down for a while. Hopefully it'll pass before I meet Emily and Sandy." Amy grimaced.

She kissed Sheldon.

"I'll talk to you all later. Sorry…I miss you guys. Bye." She said, before wandering into the bedroom and closing the door.

Sheldon stared after her. "Hmm…I hope she's okay." He muttered.

"Sheldon…Have you thought that maybe she might already _be _pregnant and not know it yet?" Penny asked.

"Oh, I doubt that." He shook his head. "It was something she ate, I think."

"If it was something she ate, she'd know about it!" Howard replied.

"Amy is not pregnant." Sheldon said firmly.

"Okay…" Leonard shrugged. "So how's work with you?"

"It's going great thank you." Sheldon replied. "I think I'm nearing a breakthrough. I can feel it!"

"That's great buddy." Leonard smiled. "Anyway, we have to go. Talk tonight?"

"Okay." Sheldon nodded. "See you soon, goodbye."

He ended the call, and stood up.

He turned to look at the bedroom door, and heard Amy sigh.

"Ow, ow, ow." She groaned from inside the room.

Scooby joined Sheldon outside the bedroom door and whined, his ears and tail drooping.

"I know, boy." Sheldon said, stroking the dog's head. "Mommy's not too good is she?"

As Sheldon stood up, he had a feeling of dread that wouldn't leave him.

Deep down, he knew something was wrong; _very _wrong…


	42. Chapter 42

Sheldon hovered outside the door for a moment.

He was scared to find out what was wrong with Amy, but at the same time he had to know; this odd behaviour had been going on for far too loed to find out what was wrong with Amy, but at the same time he had to know; this odd behaviour had been going on forng in his opinion.

Scooby, sensing his owner's hesitation, pushed the door open with his nose and trotted in, bounding up onto the bed and curling up beside Amy.

"Hello boy," she said, groggily.

That didn't sound good.

Sheldon took a deep breath and walked in.

"Amy…A-are you alright?"

"My stomach really hurts." Amy replied.

"Have you had your appendix removed?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes; when I was a child." Amy replied. "So we can rule out appendicitis."

Sheldon nodded as he sat beside Amy and took her hand.

He did a double-take as he noticed blood spots on the bed, and his eyes widened.

"Amy…I don't wish to alarm you, but you're bleeding from somewhere."

"What?" She groaned, lifting up the thin sheet and trying to find the source, checking her legs, back, stomach and arms. "I can't see where from. Maybe it's Scooby. He cut his paw or something?"

Sheldon didn't respond.

"Sheldon? Did you hear me?" Amy prompted.

He nodded, and then gestured to her light grey sweatpants.

Amy looked down and found a small amount of blood on the crotch of her sweatpants.

"Oh…Gross! I'm so sorry Sheldon. I guess I came on. I'll go clean up." She hauled herself out of bed, wincing painfully.

This was no period pain.

"Stop right there." He said suddenly, "I'm calling someone."

"What?"

"I'm calling a doctor."

"It's Saturday."

"Well then I'll call the hospital."

Amy frowned. "Sheldon, I know you're worried, but it's just menses; I'm fine."

"I'm not convinced." Sheldon replied. "You've been acting weird for a while now, you've been tired, emotional and now this. I don't know what _this _is, but I'd bet my limited edition Batman comic book collection that it's not your menses, so you sit back down missy! I'm calling someone whether you like it or not."

Amy blinked in shock.

She felt strangely turned on by Sheldon right now; she loved when his manly side came out!

"Hmm…I like it when your Texan blood boils, my stud!" She purred.

Sheldon looked horrified. "No…Don't come on to me now! We need to get you better. If I've caused a sexual injury or something, then I will never forgive myself for hurting you."

"You haven't…"

"Shh!" Sheldon hissed as he dialled the number for the emergency room.

After speaking to the operator for a few minutes, he ended the call. "They're sending someone out."

Amy rolled her eyes, clearly bored. "Great."

"Even if it does turn out to be nothing, at least we eliminated anything serious. Think of it that way." Sheldon said.

..

In hardly any time at all, an out-of-hours doctor arrived.

Sheldon greeted him at the door, and showed him through to Amy, who was sat upright in the bed.

She was doing her best to act fine, but the stomach clutching was giving away the ruse.

"Doctor, I appreciate you making this trip but I assure you I'm fine." Amy smiled, until the doctor gently felt her stomach for any lumps, and Amy winced in pain. "Ow!"

"That doesn't sound fine to me." The doctor raised his eyebrows. "Have you had any lower back pain? Breast tenderness, nausea, fatigue…?"

"I've been tired and cranky." Amy admitted.

The doctor nodded. "Okay…" He slipped on his gloves. "Would you mind if I performed a cervical exam or would you rather go to the emergency room and see an OBGYN?"

"Could I see a Gynaecologist please?" Amy asked quietly. "It's nothing against you; I would just prefer a female to look."

The doctor smiled. "Absolutely. I'll run you both back to the hospital with me."

Amy text Emily and Sandy to rearrange as she was going to hospital, and allowed Sheldon to help her up.

They got ready, gathered their things and fed Scooby, before leaving with the doctor.

It was a short ride to the hospital, and the doctor approached the desk with the couple, requesting that Amy see a Gynaecologist as soon as possible.

Within twenty minutes, Amy was called through, and she and Sheldon made their way through the doors.

..

"So you've been experiencing abdominal pain, fatigue, mood swings and bleeding?" The Gynaecologist asked, pulling on her gloves.

"Yes…I personally think it's a painful period, but my husband and the doctor seem to disagree." Amy replied.

"Hmm…I'm just going to examine you." The woman said.

Amy reluctantly removed her sweatpants and underwear and lay on the examining bed, as the gynaecologist pulled the curtain around them.

Sheldon was left to sit in one of the chairs in the room, waiting anxiously.

The gynaecologist bit her lip. "Oh…"

"What"? Amy asked.

"You've passed tissue and what looks like a blood clot."

"What does that mean?"

"Amy…This looks like an early miscarriage. I'm so sorry."

..

In the room, Sheldon had heard everything and his heart was thumping.

He felt a panic attack coming on, and had to close his eyes and try to regulate his breathing.

Behind the curtain, Amy stared at the other woman. "But…That's impossible. I-I had fertility testing just over three weeks ago, maybe even four weeks ago by now! Wouldn't they have picked up on that?"

"This here looks as though it's only three weeks developed, maybe a little less." The gynaecologist replied, as she examined the tissue and its content. "You must have conceived just after your tests."

"I was told I was infertile."

"Well…"

Amy blinked furiously.

"So…I was actually pregnant all this time?!"

The woman nodded. "I can give you something to help you pass the rest of the blood and tissue and clear you out. You should be able to try again in about four weeks' time."

"So…Which part was the actual foetus?" Amy asked. "Or have I not passed that?"

The OBGYN had transferred the mass of tissue into a large petri dish, and she took a utensil and moved the tissue around until she uncovered a teeny-tiny spherical shape, which was white-yellow in color.

"This was it." The woman said, apologetically. "Let's get you cleaned up…Are you okay?"

Amy swallowed and nodded. "Uh huh." She was trying to be brave but her voice broke.

Unable to stand it any longer, Sheldon stood up and pushed through the blue curtains, heading for Amy and swept her up in a hug, letting her cry on him.

"I'll go and get the things to clean you up; I'll give you two a minute." The gynaecologist said, disposing of her gloves and washing her hands before laying a comforting hand on Amy's back and leaving the room.

"If I'd have known, I would have taken better care of you." Sheldon said, sadly. "Maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"It wasn't your fault; I had no idea either. God, we just can't catch a break, can we?" Amy shook her head, wiping her cheeks dry. "Everything is going wrong for us!"

Sheldon said nothing.

He couldn't stop feeling guilty, like he was at fault for all of this, and he didn't like the feeling one bit.

Part of him wanted to keep trying, but he knew Amy wouldn't be ready straight away, no matter how early the miscarriage happened.

Amy looked at him. "Sheldon?" She sniffed.

Realizing that he was yet to say something, the physicist spoke; "Amy, you know how strong we are. We can get through this and we can try again when and if you're ready." He sounded braver than he felt, trying to push the lump in his throat down and get rid of the tears forming in his eyes.

Nodding, Amy smiled weakly.

"Thank you Sheldon. That's what I needed to hear." She wrapped her arms around him tighter, and he lost control at that point, letting the tears fall silently down his face.

'_So much for Kohlinar.' _He thought.

..

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews on my last chapter; I noticed that I am not actually making typos – The typos appear once I've uploaded the chapter on here? :S Has anyone else noticed this with their stories?! So annoying (not to mention probably leading people to think I can't spell, when I really can.) Anyway, sorry that this chapter was a little more depressing, but as the description says, this is a romance/hurt/comfort genre. I won't put our beloved Shamy through too much pain, don't worry. Thanks for reading! **


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: Wow! Thank you for the reviews! :) Just one more helping of angst, and then roads will become smoother. Please keep some tissues handy for this chapter…**

**..**

Once Amy had been given the drug and had been cleaned up, she and Sheldon returned to the suite.

"I'm…I'm going to lie down." Amy muttered.

"Would you like me to get us some lunch?" Sheldon asked, stroking her hair.

Amy shook her head. "I'm not really hungry."

She ambled into the front room and laid down on the couch, gazing out the balcony doors.

Scooby could sense the sadness in the suite, and slowly wandered over to Amy, pushing his nose against her hand, which was dangling off the edge of the couch.

Amy smiled weakly at him, and patted the seat beside her.

Scooby leapt up and curled beside Amy, resting his head on her arm, whining softly.

She began to tear up again, and buried her face in a cushion.

In the kitchen, Sheldon leaned against the counter, arms folded, with one hand curled into a fist against his mouth as he thought hard.

_This is all my fault…I should have known._

_Oh, how could I have known? This is new to both of us!_

He closed his eyes and focused on trying to control his thoughts.

But now, he seemed to completely lack the ability.

Odd.

As far back as he could remember, (which incidentally was when he was a baby!) he had been able to control his thoughts and emotions, but nowadays, he just couldn't do it.

Hearing sobbing from the front room, his heart broke.

Sheldon switched on the kettle and waited for it to boil.

He selected Amy's favorite; Chamomile tea, and put the teabag in a mug, before adding the boiled water.

Stirring, he took it through to Amy, whose face was buried in the couch cushions, her body rising and falling with each sob, and Scooby beside her.

Setting the drink on the coffee table, Sheldon sat on the arm of the couch and gently lifted Amy up so that he could hold her and stroke her hair.

She managed to compose herself and sniffed, taking a deep breath, looking at the mug on the table.

"Hot beverage." Sheldon explained. "It's Chamomile tea. I know it's not exactly going to make things better, but…"

"Thank you Sheldon." Amy sniffed, leaning forward and gratefully taking a sip.

"I want to apologize." Sheldon said now, "If…If I had known, I would have taken better care of you, and I would have taken steps to ensure you and the baby were healthy and happy. I know things have been stressful, and I feel responsible."

Amy looked at him sadly. "Sheldon, _none of this_ is your fault. When I got tested, they warned me that this would happen…I just didn't know that it would be so soon after, or that it would happen so quickly. Work has been stressful, trying to have a baby has been stressful…Neither of us knew I was even pregnant! Please don't blame yourself."

"But I knew something wasn't right for a while, and I didn't warn you or say anything."

Amy shrugged. "What's done is done." She replied, "And still, you weren't to know any better. It's _not_ your fault. It's my stupid body's fault!"

At that moment, Sheldon's cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

He put it on speaker. "It's the gynaecologist. Apparently your phone was off, so she called me" He whispered, before speaking down the phone again; "Sorry, continue."

"I just wanted to say that after further examination of the tissue mass that Amy passed earlier, we found another embryo embedded into it."

Amy looked up, blinking in shock.

"E-excuse me, please could you say that again?" Sheldon stammered.

"There were two embryos unfortunately, Dr Cooper. I'm sorry."

"Oh…Uh…Right. Thank you for telling us... Goodbye."

He ended the call, and the phone slid out of his hand as his breathing quickened and he started sweating, signifying a panic attack.

Amy stood up and rubbed his back, grabbing a paper bag. "Breathe into this."

Sheldon did as he was told, and once his breathing was regulated, he flopped down onto the couch, with Amy lowering herself next to him.

"So…I miscarried two?!" She asked in disbelief.

Sheldon nodded. "Twins." He breathed. "My guess is that you miscarried one, and then when you bled out, the other embryo came with it. There's no way it could have survived out of utero."

Amy looked shell-shocked.

"I can't believe this. This has just gotten a million times worse!" She burst into tears again, locking herself in the bedroom.

Sheldon tried to enter, but she didn't want to see him or anyone for that matter.

He felt torn to pieces, as his own tears began to fall for the second time that day.

He leaned on the dining table, and in a moment of unexpected angst, he drew his hand across the table, knocking the notebooks and pens, placemats and the plastic vase to the floor, where the flowers and water both spilled out onto the laminated flooring.

Scooby jumped, and put his tail between his legs, whining softly as he hid under the coffee table.

"Oh, Scooby, I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you." Sheldon said softly, bending down and extending a hand.

The Fox Terrier timidly crawled out and nudged Sheldon's hand with his wet nose.

He then put his front paws on Sheldon's legs and rested his head on his shoulder.

Sheldon hesitantly wrapped his arms around the dog, finally understanding the phrase 'man's best friend'.

After a moment, he let go and took out his cell phone, dialling a number.

"Hello? Leonard it's me…Amy and I, we…We really need your help." He sobbed, before hanging up the phone.

..

Back in Pasadena, Leonard stared at his phone, frowning.

"What's wrong? Who was that?" Penny asked popping a piece of chocolate in her mouth.

"That was Sheldon." Leonard replied, "He was _crying!_ Like, literally in hysterics. He said he and Amy needed help, and then he hung up. Something is very wrong."

Penny looked at him, worried. "Oh God…Well, what do we do?"

Leonard looked round at their group of friends, who had heard the whole thing. "Who fancies an impromptu trip to Florida?"

..

Sheldon sat outside the bedroom door, his back against the door.

Amy must have fallen asleep, because the crying had stopped hours ago.

It was then that he realized that he had been sitting in that exact same spot for four hours.

Deciding to compose himself and wash, Sheldon stood up and headed into the bathroom to shower.

As he stood under the hot stream of water, Sheldon lost himself in his thoughts as he absentmindedly lathered himself up with shower gel.

He was finally snapped out of his thoughts by Scooby scratching at the bathroom door.

Glancing at the clock in the bathroom, Sheldon realized he had been in the shower for over half an hour!

He wrapped a towel around himself and opened the door.

"Sorry, Scooby." He sighed, as he opened the balcony doors and let the dog out onto the balcony, where he decided to relieve himself on some newspaper.

Sheldon towelled himself dry and threw on some clothes, just as he heard a knock at the door.

He wandered aimlessly towards the door, and opened it, shocked as he stared out at his group of friends.

"Hello Sheldon…We got your message." Leonard smiled.

"You came! All of you!" He lunged forward and wrapped his extremely shocked best friend into a hug.

..

"So, what happened?" Penny asked, as Sheldon let them all in.

"Amy miscarried." Sheldon sadly replied, barely above a whisper.

The group gasped. "We're sorry Sheldon."

"And then the Gynaecologist called and said that after further inspection of the tissue, she found out that there were _two _embryos…Not one."

"Oh no…" Bernadette said.

"So she miscarried twins? Sheldon, I'm so sorry." Penny rubbed his back.

"Where is Amy now? Did she go out?" Howard asked.

Sheldon shook his head and nodded towards the bedroom door. "She's in there; she hasn't come out in five hours which was only to use the bathroom. She was crying for ages, but then I think she fell asleep."

Penny and Bernadette looked at each other, and both stood straight. "We'll go talk to her." Bernadette said.

"Yeah, we'll stay here with you Sheldon. We'll order something in for dinner." Raj finished.

"I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat." Leonard replied. "You of all people know better than that. Come on…"

..

Penny and Bernadette knocked on the bedroom door, which woke Amy up. "What is it Sheldon?" She asked tearfully.

"It's Penny and Bernadette." Penny called out.

Amy couldn't believe her ears.

Surely she was dreaming?

She rubbed her eyes, and stood up shakily as she unlocked the bedroom door, and sure enough, there stood her two best friends!

"It's really you!" She smiled weakly.

"Sheldon called Leonard earlier…We all caught the first flight to Florida. We know what happened sweetie; we're so sorry."

"I hope Sheldon doesn't think I'm mad at him. I just really wanted to be alone for a while, but I guess I fell asleep."

Her friends hugged her tightly. "We're here now, okay?" Bernadette said, "We all booked rooms, and we'll stay as long as you two need us."

"Thank you," Amy sniffed. "Really, thank you."

"You guys really need to talk about this," Penny added, sitting on the bed after closing the door. "I know it's painful, but you can't let this ruin you."

"I won't," Amy promised, "I don't blame Sheldon, so it's not like we have anything to argue over. I know it was one of those things; neither of us knew I was even pregnant…Especially with twins!"

Penny put her arm around Amy.

"Amy, I know what the doctors told you; but you can try again. This doesn't mean it's the end." Bernadette said.

"I know. I want to try again, just…Just not now. It's too raw." Amy replied.

"We know. Does Sheldon know that?"

Amy nodded. "I think even he knows that."

The girls nodded. "Will he be able to handle his sexual desires for a while?" Penny asked.

"He handled them for 32 years, what's stopping him now?" Amy shrugged.

"Well…People -even Sheldon - are like Pringles; once you pop, you can't stop!" Penny replied.

"That's true." Amy nodded, "But I think he knows. He's fine just cuddling"

"See? That's what is so great about you guys!" Penny smiled. "You took forever to get physical, so now you can just appreciate moments of closeness too. Sex is just a bonus, right?"

Amy cracked a smile. "Right."

"You guys will be okay, you always are. You're the Shamy!" Bernadette smiled, rubbing Amy's back, comfortingly.

Amy smiled again, "I know."

"Just remember to talk to him about your feelings, okay? You two will have a baby one day; we know you will!" Penny finished. "This is just another hurdle to jump over, but you and Sheldon can do it together."

Amy nodded. "Thank you girls, you're the best friends I could ever ask for."

Penny and Bernadette hugged their friend, grinning. "Go team Shamy!" They chorused.


	44. Chapter 44

Leonard got off his cell phone and put down the Chinese menu.

"They said about half hour." He said, as he sat down. "So, tell us what happened."

"What is there to tell?" Sheldon shrugged. "Amy was unknowingly pregnant with my baby…Sorry, _babies, _and now she no longer is."

"Yeeeaah, but how does that make you _feel?_" Howard pressed.

"Well, sad." Sheldon said. "Distraught, for a better word… Torn apart, if I were to be totally honest."

"Good…This is good. You're getting your feelings out." Leonard said. "And you do need to talk to her about this so that it doesn't destroy your relationship."

Sheldon pursed his lips. "I know, I know…" He sighed. "I suspect she feels worse than I do."

"Probably," Raj nodded, "But you're both hurt now. What are you going to do?"

"Well, obviously I'll talk to her. But I don't know after that…The Gynaecologist said that it will be about four weeks before we can try again. I've tried to support Amy, but she needed space."

"She would do at first, Sheldon. It's a fresh wound, and needs time to heal. I guess it's better that you didn't know beforehand and get your hopes up."

"That's true." Sheldon nodded.

At that moment, the bedroom door opened, and Penny and Bernadette walked out with a freshly-dressed and made-up Amy.

Sheldon stood up. "Amy," he said softly, "I'm sorry…H-how are you feeling?"

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Amy smiled. "I'm a little better now, thank you."

"Would you like to go for a walk with me so that we can talk?" Sheldon offered.

Amy shook her head. "It's probably best we eat something. We can talk after if you want to?"

"I'll take the dog out," Raj offered.

"Scooby," Sheldon said, "And are you sure?"

"Of course. I have a dog of my own, and she can be a real bitch. Your dog looks harmless!"

"He is." Sheldon smiled fondly, "He's friendly and gentle unlike most dogs."

"That's sorted then." Raj replied, finding Scooby's lead hanging up on the coat hooks, and bending down to clip it onto the dog's collar.

Scooby sniffed Raj, and then licked him on the hand.

"Look, he likes me!" Raj grinned as he led the dog out of the room. "Leonard ordered us all a Chinese; I'll be back for dinner."

The door closed, leaving the rest of the gang in the front room.

"Uh…Amy can I show you something on the balcony?" Sheldon asked, taking her hand.

Knowing that this was a signal for wanting to talk, Amy nodded.

"We'll be right back," She said, as Sheldon closed the doors behind them, kicking aside the fresh newspaper that he had laid down earlier after Scooby had used the old sheets.

Sheldon leaned on the balcony safety wall, looking out over the hotel gardens, pool, the beach and the sea.

The sun was setting, leaving a pink-orange glow over Tampa.

"I really am sorry Amy." Sheldon began.

"I know; me too. But it's neither of our faults." Amy replied as she leaned on the wall beside him. "I don't blame you, you don't blame me. There's no argument." She smiled.

"I know, but…Will our relationship be okay?"

"Sheldon, you know it will; it always is. We'll just have to grieve a little and then we can try conceiving again."

He nodded. "I honestly didn't think you were pregnant."

"Honestly, neither did I." Amy responded.

"I mean…If you hadn't miscarried, how long would it have been until we found out?"

"Not much longer, I shouldn't think. Maybe a week or so."

"I suppose it's best that we didn't know before," Sheldon said, repeating what Raj had said earlier. "We weren't expecting anything, and we didn't get our hopes up, only to then lose the baby…Uh, _babies_, sorry."

"That's very true." Amy nodded. "I didn't _feel _pregnant, anyway."

"Maybe us trying so soon jinxed it." Sheldon shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, since we've been in Florida, which is three months, we have shared a room, initiated a physical relationship, we've had coitus, got engaged _and _married, bought our first pet, decided to move in together when we get home, and decided to have a baby. We're used to going slowly…Maybe slow works?"

"You mean…We get divorced already and start again?" Amy asked sadly.

"No! No way…All I meant was; maybe we should have waited until we got back to California to even consider not using condoms anymore!" Sheldon said, "We would have settled back home where we are comfortable, there'd be less stress, and we would have more time."

"Like I suggested before." Amy said.

"Well…Yes." Sheldon answered, "But then you got tested, and we both thought it would never happen."

"Yeah…" Amy bit her lip. "But anyway…I agree. I think we should try when we're settled back at home. It would take a lot of pressure off, and if anything goes wrong again, we are closer to our friends and family if we need comfort."

"Technically, I'm closer to _my_ family here…" Sheldon replied. "But I get what you meant."

Amy smiled. "I'm glad we talked…Do you mind if we leave it for a little while to have sex again?" She whispered, "I'm not up to that yet."

"Of course." Sheldon replied. "But it depends if you can control yourself, you vixen!"

Grinning, Amy stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips against his.

They kissed passionately in the sunset for a few minutes, their arms round each other's waists.

..

"They're all good!" Penny whisper-shouted to the gang, from where she was watching the couple talking.

She moved the curtain aside so that they could see for themselves.

"Aww!" Bernadette smiled.

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the Shamy kiss!" Howard commented. "They look good together, though."

Raj had just returned with Scooby, who he let off the lead so he could lap up the water from his bowl.

As Raj greeted the others, he looked up at the sight of Sheldon and Amy kissing from Penny's spy-hole in the curtains.

"Aww, that's so romantic!" He said.

"Shh!" Penny smiled. "They'll hear you."

She turned back and almost jumped out of her skin, as she saw Sheldon and Amy had stopped kissing and were frowning at her.

Penny replaced the curtain, and rushed over to the kitchen, seating herself at a stool.

Amy and Sheldon came back inside.

"The Chinese is here." Leonard said.

"Thank you Leonard." Sheldon replied, "Oh and Penny, if you are going to spy on someone's private moment, next time, try to make it a little less obvious."

Penny bit her lip, embarrassed.

"Thank you all for coming here." Amy smiled at their friends, "Really, I don't know how we would have coped without you."

"No pressure then." Howard joked. "I'm just kidding; happy to help."

"Team Shamy!" Everyone chorused, holding their hands in the air.

Sheldon and Amy raised their eyebrows. "Normally, I would oppose to that nickname, but right now I don't care." Sheldon said, as Leonard handed him his food. "Thank you Leonard. How much do I owe you?"

"Ah, it's on me tonight." Leonard waved his hand. "Penny, honey, you owe me $14."

"What!?" Penny asked, with a mouthful of noodles.

"As seeing as we have paid for your food multiple times." Leonard grinned, impishly.

Penny shook her head at her boyfriend, smiling. "Here's $20. Keep the change…Go buy yourself something pretty, sweetie."

"Don't say that, he might go buy himself a new girlfriend." Sheldon piped up.

The entire room burst out laughing.

Penny gave him an amused look. "I'll let you have that one, given the circumstances." She said, "Next time, I'll kick your ass, Cooper!"

Sheldon didn't look upset for once; he just smiled. "It's good to have you all back!"


	45. Chapter 45

**Two months later…**

**..**

"Sheldon, there's your case!" Amy said, as Sheldon leaned forward and grabbed his suitcase off the conveyor belt and placed it on the cart next to Amy's bags.

They had arrived back in LA, and Amy was still feeling emotional.

Her colleagues at the Fitzpatrick had given her a leaving party the day before, and had bought her gifts and cards, whilst thanking her for her work.

She had won an award for her research paper, which had been published in the local newspapers, and the national news.

Sheldon had finally made a breakthrough, and had won an award himself, which was also published in the same column as Amy's, which was headlined: 'Married couple both win awards for ground-breaking discoveries in Neurobiology and Physics.'

Their parents and friends had called them, full of congratulations and praise.

During the time of their loss with the babies, the gang had stayed for ten days before returning home, and Sheldon and Amy's sex life had returned to normal.

Now, they were home, ready to go back to work. (Or in Amy's case, her new job at the California Fitzpatrick facility.)

"Scooby is being brought back to the apartment later." Amy said to Sheldon.

"Okay," he replied. "It feels so strange to be back home! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I already miss Florida!"

"Me too," Amy sighed as they made their way through the arrivals building and through declaration. "But not as much as I missed home. Things will be the same, but different now."

Sheldon frowned at her, and was about to say something, when they turned the corner and were leapt on by their friends. "WELCOME HOME!"

"Oh good Lord, don't do that!" Sheldon cried, "I almost had a heart attack."

"Ah, it's good to have you home, Sheldon!" Leonard grinned, patting his friend on the back. "It's been…Quiet."

"Well, it will be less quiet now with Amy moving in." Sheldon replied.

He had cleared this with Leonard back when he and the others had visited the couple.

"That's true! Well Amy, you are welcome to stay with us tonight, and we can help you move your stuff tomorrow or the day after or whenever you're ready." Leonard smiled.

"Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to stay in my own apartment tonight. It's been so long…" She said.

"Not a problem." Leonard took the cart from them and pushed it out to the parking lot.

"So how was your flight?" Bernadette asked.

"It was good thank you. We were seated in first class, so it was relatively peaceful." Amy replied.

"They gave us champagne! They recognized us from the news!" Sheldon cut in.

"Yes, Sheldon had a little _too_ much…" Amy eyed him.

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "I assure you I'm fine. I am in full control of my mind and body."

As he said this, he tripped on a speed bump and hurtled forward, only to have Penny grab him and pull him back up.

Everyone stared at him, eyebrows raised, biting back laughter.

Sheldon brushed himself down, embarrassed. "Shut up." He mumbled.

..

As the gang piled into their cars, Sheldon and Amy got in the back of Leonard's car with Leonard and Penny.

Leonard was shocked that Sheldon hadn't called shotgun, but hadn't argued either, as the group sat chatting happily about Florida.

"So…Have you guys been trying for another baby?" Penny asked.

The car fell silent.

Amy and Sheldon exchanged a look.

"Uh…"

"No." Amy replied, "We decided to try once we were settled back home."

"What Amy said." Sheldon muttered, staring out of the window.

"Sorry, is that topic still uncomfortable to talk about?" Penny winced.

"Not really. We sort of came to terms with it." Amy smiled weakly.

"But you are still having…?"

"Coitus? Yes." Sheldon answered. "Can we change the subject now, please?"

"Sorry." Penny apologized. "Um…So how are David and Emily?"

"They seem alright. They text us to ask how our flight was. So did Jack and Sandy." Amy replied, looking down at her phone and replying to their friends back in Tampa.

"You're gonna miss them, huh?" Leonard asked.

"Yes, but they want to visit. We agreed to bi-yearly visits; they will come to us once a year, and we will go to them once a year. Each will stay for two weeks, before returning home." Sheldon added.

"Ah, so you haven't completely abandoned your schedules then?" Leonard laughed uncomfortably.

"You know…I was thinking…" Sheldon began.

"Oh God." Leonard whispered under his breath.

Sheldon ignored him. "I was thinking we could revise the Roommate Agreement? Not trash it altogether but remove a majority of it."

"This doesn't mean you'll be playing bongos at 3am again does it?" Leonard groaned.

"No."

"Then I agree."

"Sheldon, what about the Relationship Agreement?" Amy asked.

"What Relationship Agreement?" He asked, winking.

Amy grinned and kissed him.

"So Amy gets special treatment and I don't?" Leonard complained.

"I'm sorry; I don't recall having romantic feelings for you Leonard." Sheldon answered, "Therefore, you're darn tootin' you don't!"

"Yeah, you're also not giving him sex, Leonard." Penny added, "And you don't look like Amy or have…Lady Parts."

"Sex has nothing to do with this!" Sheldon protested.

"Really?" Amy asked, "Okay…Scrap the Roommate Agreement or you won't get lucky for a month."

Sheldon stared at her.

The car was silent for about ten minutes.

"Fine, I'll do it." Sheldon sighed.

Penny turned around and grinned at Amy. "Told ya!" She said to Sheldon, who glared back at her.

"Women are mean." Sheldon huffed, folding his arms and staring out the window.

"Thank you Amy." Leonard smiled into the rear-view mirror.

Amy smiled back and sighed contentedly, leaning back in her seat.

_It's good to be home!_

..

Amy let herself into her apartment after Leonard and Penny dropped her off and helped her carry her cases inside.

"Thank you for collecting us from the airport." Amy and Sheldon said.

"You're welcome. So are you staying here tonight, Sheldon?" Leonard asked.

Sheldon looked at Amy briefly, and then shook his head. "I'd like to come home for tonight…Will you be over tomorrow, Amy?"

Amy bit her lip as she looked around her apartment, and breathed in the familiar smell.

Five months away from home was too much for her.

She said nothing.

Sheldon's heart dropped and he turned to look at Leonard and Penny.

"Uh…We'll give you two a minute." Penny said, as she and Leonard waited in the hall closing Amy's door.

"Don't you want to move in with me?" Sheldon asked.

"I do…But I've missed my own apartment so much." Amy replied.

"But…But we're married." Sheldon said, fiddling with the wedding ring on his finger.

"I know, I know…It's just…I've missed this place so much. It's my home, and I don't want to drag you away from your routine at yours and Leonard's place, and what you're used to…" Amy shook her head. "Scooby is being brought back here anyway."

Sheldon frowned. "He is?"

Amy nodded. "That's the address I gave the Pet Freight, yeah."

"Amy…Scooby belongs to both of us. I'll miss him tonight."

"Then stay over," Amy said.

"I have to organize everything back at my place, you know I can't."

"Well, so do I."

The couple looked at each other or a moment, willing the other to back down.

"I see, so we have a temporary spell of separation and our child goes with you? That's hurtful." Sheldon said, sulkily.

Amy rolled her eyes. "He's a dog, Sheldon!"

Sheldon gasped. "He's _our _dog!"

"Either stay over tonight, or don't." Amy was saying now.

"Will you promise to move in tomorrow?" Sheldon asked.

Amy swallowed. "Well…"

Sheldon sighed. "Fine. I'll see you when I see you. Give my love to Scooby."

He turned around and walked out of the door.

"Sheldon…" Amy called.

It was too late; he was out in the hallway hurrying down the stairs, with a confused Leonard following him.

Penny hesitated and Leonard glanced round at her.

"You go. I'll catch you later; I left my car here anyway." Penny said, kissing Leonard goodbye, before he raced after Sheldon.

Penny opened Amy's apartment door and found her friend slowly wheeling a suitcase through to her room.

"Ames, wait…"

Amy looked round, and her expression said it all.

Penny ran forward to hug her. "Oh Amy, what happened?"

"I don't want to leave here yet, but I want to live with Sheldon. This is my home…" Amy replied, "And Scooby is being brought back here later, which upset Sheldon more…"

"Ah the whole married couple being apart, and only one of them gets the dog. I get it." Penny nodded. "But you're moving in soon, right?"

Amy chewed her lip.

"Okay…Ames, I know how you feel; I wouldn't want to leave my apartment now; it's home to me. But…Sheldon has made so many sacrifices for you. I know you have in the past, too, but…His have been life-changing. Do you see what I mean?"

Amy nodded slowly. "I feel so guilty."

"Don't," Penny said, "It's natural to feel this way. But you guys are married, you have a pet together, you almost had two babies, and you'll soon have one for sure, I know you will…But those things come from taking risks, making sacrifices because you love that person too much to let anything get in the way…"

Amy nodded again. "But then…Why won't you agree to marry Leonard?"

Penny looked down at her lap, thoughtfully. "Who are we talking about here?"

Amy shrugged. "I love Sheldon so much…We've been through hell and every time he's done the unexpected and he's pulled through for me. I never thought he would."

"He's crazy about you Amy." Penny replied, "He really is."

"Me too." Amy nodded.

She turned around and pulled her suitcases back through the apartment.

"Where are you going?" Penny frowned.

"I'm moving in with my husband." Amy smiled. "Just as soon as Scooby arrives!"

..

Sheldon was unpacking his cases, full of the few clothes he took with him and the ones he had bought out in Florida.

Leonard entered Sheldon's room with a steaming mug of tea for him.

"Hot beverage." Leonard smiled. "You know…'Cause you're feeling low."

"Thank you." Sheldon replied, taking the mug and sipping the hot liquid.

There was a knock at the door, and Leonard answered it.

From the bedroom, Sheldon heard barking.

"I know that bark anywhere!" He muttered, standing up and hurrying into the hallway.

"Scooby!"

The Fox Terrier bounded over to him and knocked him over, happily licking Sheldon's face.

Sheldon managed to get him off, and stood up, face to face with Amy.

"Damn, Scooby beat me to it!" She grinned.

"Amy…What are you doing here?" Sheldon asked, kissing her.

She took a deep breath. "I want to move in. I'll collect my stuff from my apartment over the next week or so…That is, if you still want me here?" She looked meaningfully at him and Leonard.

"Of course we do." Leonard smiled.

"Yes!" Sheldon grinned, "I do, you know I do." He hugged Amy tightly, as Scooby danced excitedly beside them, yapping. "What changed your mind?"

"Guilty!" Penny said, as she pulled the last case into the apartment. "I told Amy that Sheldon has sacrificed a lot to be with her, and that his changes have changed both of their lives. That and she should take the risk if she really loves him." The blonde smiled. "Which brings me to you."

Penny walked over to Leonard.

Leonard looked at Penny, slightly worried. "Yes?" He asked nervously.

"Leonard Hofstadter, will you marry me?"

..

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger…Well, I'm not but hey! xD Still more of the story to come…Things are starting to look up now for The Shamy! Thank you for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up soon!**


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N: Sorry I took so long to update and left you on a cliffhanger…I usually update daily, but I've been swamped by my photography and my coursework. So here's chapter 46, with a smut warning! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

**..**

Leonard's answer was, of course, a shocked and emotional 'yes'.

After this, Penny had leapt on him and wrapped her legs round his waist and kissed him lovingly.

"Let's take this to my apartment." Penny whispered, as Leonard carried her out of the door and across the hall.

Sheldon and Amy were left standing in the living room, staring at the closed door, shocked.

"You do realize that they're probably over there engaging in coitus." Sheldon said, eventually.

"Uh huh…" Amy replied, her mouth still open in surprise.

Sheldon was looking at her, and she finally noticed.

"What?" She asked.

"Maybe we should…Uh…" Sheldon trailed off.

Amy wasn't responding.

"Amy?"

"Huh? Sorry."

"I was wondering if maybe _we_ should…You know…Have coitus too?" Sheldon asked.

Amy turned to look at him. "Are you sure? We only got back today."

"Yes, besides, _our_ bed needs Christening!" He grinned, taking her hand and leading her into his room.

As soon as they entered, Sheldon started rummaging through his closet, pulling out a tie and putting it on the door handle on the outside, before closing the door again and turning to Amy.

"What's that for?" Amy asked, removing her shoes.

"A little trick Leonard unknowingly taught me a few years ago." Sheldon replied, as he lifted Amy and placed her onto the bed, and he leaned over her, the two of them kissing passionately.

After a moment, Sheldon stopped, frowning.

"Hmm…"

"What's wrong?" Amy asked.

"Nothing…Just that I'm in my own bed now, and these are my own sheets. The past five months that we've been physical, it's been in a hotel room. Now we're at home, and…" Sheldon trailed off as Amy sighed.

"No, don't sigh. That's not me saying no, it's just _different_…" He said, as he gently caressed Amy's body. "But good different."

Amy's entire body tingled as her husband lightly kissed her lips, face and neck, before kissing her collarbone and then impulsively ripping off her blouse.

He had only intended to rip open the buttons like he'd seen on movies, but he had accidentally managed to rip the entire blouse.

"Oh no! Amy I'm so sorry!" He exclaimed.

"That's okay. It was an old one I wore just to be comfortable on the plane." She replied, taking his face in her hands and planting kisses on his lips.

She moved her hands down his torso and grabbed the bottom of his black Batman shirt, taking it off over his head so that their upper bodies were bare and touching.

Amy could feel Sheldon's erection through his khakis, and began to unbuckle his belt.

Soon they had both removed their clothes, and were down to their underwear.

Sheldon leaned over to his bedside drawer to grab one of his XL condoms that he had unpacked earlier and put in the drawer.

He held it for a moment in its foil, and frowned thoughtfully.

"What do you think?" He asked.

Amy blinked. "Uh…We've used those before. They're fine." She replied, confused.

"No…I mean should we go without? You know…So we can…_try _again?" Sheldon asked softly.

Amy took a deep breath.

"Unless you still need time, then I'll wear one." Sheldon finished, sensing Amy's hesitation.

"No…I'm just scared in case it goes wrong again." She confessed.

"Me too, but we'll never know if we don't try." Sheldon reasoned. "It's up to you, but I'm not going to give up trying if you don't want me to."

"Put it back." Amy smiled. "I think we _should_ try again."

Sheldon put the condom back in the drawer, and removed his underpants, before removing Amy's and slowly entering her.

Amy wrapped her legs around Sheldon's waist as he propped himself up on his forearms, his lips locked with hers.

They moved in rhythm with each other, their hips grinding together.

They also heard the front door close, and heard Leonard and Penny's excited voices in the living room.

Sheldon pushed himself in deeper, which made Amy moan loudly and then bite her lip before Penny and Leonard heard them.

"Oh God…Sheldon…Go faster." Amy breathed.

As he obliged, Amy had no way of suppressing her moans now as orgasm washed over her, and Sheldon felt her muscles tense and felt her release.

"Do you mind if I try something?" He asked.

Amy shook her head. "Go ahead." She breathed.

Sheldon rolled her over onto her front, in what he had read about in a magazine as 'doggy style', and ran his hand from her backside down to her breasts, and began to massage them.

Increasing his speed and depth again, Sheldon felt Amy release a second time, just ahead of him as he moaned loudly and cried out her name, pumping into her.

The two of them collapsed together on the bed to get their breath back, both sweating.

"Wow!" Amy whispered.

Sheldon bit his lip. "Ah…Um, Amy? Would you mind if I changed the sheets? It's nothing personal, I just…"

"You didn't need to change them in the hotel. Only the first time…" Amy frowned.

"I know; it's just that those sheets belonged to the hotel, but these are mine. I can't explain it, I just need to clean and replace them." Sheldon replied.

Amy blinked. "Oh…Okay."

She stood up and helped Sheldon strip the bed before they both put their clothes back on.

"I will get past that, I promise." Sheldon was saying now.

"I know you will." Amy smiled.

"Once we have put these in the laundry basket and changed the sheets, would you care to shower together?" Sheldon asked. "In _our _shower?"

"I'd love to." Amy replied. And then it dawned on her. "Oh God! Leonard and Penny came back into the apartment didn't they?"

Sheldon's eyes widened. "How could I forget that?" He bundled up the sheets and opened the door. "Let me check."

He placed the sheets into the laundry basket before checking Leonard's room.

Empty.

Ambling into the living room, Sheldon found the living room and kitchen empty too, apart from Scooby, and a note on the kitchen island.

_Sheldon and Amy,_

_First of all, way to go on your 'coitus' you dirty animals! ;) Yeah, we heard you! Good job!_

_Second of all, I came back to change; Penny and I have gone to dinner to celebrate our engagement. (Can you believe that!? I still can't.)_

_Don't wait up!_

_-Leonard._

Sheldon read the note out to Amy, who burst out laughing. "Whoops!"

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time those two have caught us, remember?" Sheldon raised his eyebrows. "Remember when Penny actually walked in on us, post-coitus?!"

"Oh, that was extremely embarrassing." Amy shuddered. "We also agreed never to speak of it again. I'd have thought with your eidetic memory, you'd remember that!"

Sheldon shrugged and took Amy's hands in his. "I have a question for you…"

Amy frowned slightly. "Okay?"

"Amy Farrah Cooper…Will you do me the honor of showering with me now?" Sheldon asked, mock-seriously.

Amy faked a dramatic gasp. "I thought you'd never ask!"

She allowed Sheldon to lift and carry her to the bathroom.

..

Once the couple had finished their rather intimate shower, they padded into the living room in their bathrobes.

"We need to eat. What do you feel like eating?" Sheldon asked.

"Don't you have a schedule?" Amy asked.

"I used to, yes." Sheldon replied, "But now I just want to eat anything. Intercourse really works up an appetite."

"How about Thai?" Amy suggested, picking up their Thai menu.

"Hmm…You know what? I don't feel like eating Thai." Sheldon wrinkled his nose. "How about Indian?"

"Sounds good to me." Amy nodded.

They made their decisions and called the Indian take out, before seating themselves on the couch to wait for their food to be delivered.

"It feels so weird to be home." Amy said, resting her head on Sheldon's shoulder. "Well…I'm not really _home _home, but…back in Pasadena."

"We should also Christen the bed in your apartment before you move out." Sheldon said suddenly, "And also maybe the couch…and the kitchen worktops. Speaking of which..." He glanced over to the kitchen island.

Amy raised an eyebrow. "We just had sex twice, you can't still be horny?"

"Let's see…The 'Lenny' are out." Sheldon air-quoted. "I have the apartment to myself, with the exception of my beautiful wife."

Amy giggled like a schoolgirl. "I'm not beautiful…And wait, 'Lenny'?"

"Yes you are." Sheldon replied, "Yes; 'Lenny'. They're not the only ones who can make amalgamated nicknames!" He smiled, kissing Amy. "How about once on the kitchen island before the food arrives?"

Amy stared at him. "Sheldon…No." She laughed, "I'm burning like crazy as it is. How you have anything left in you anyway is beyond me!"

"Really Amy, I thought you would be more shocked at the mention of me being willing to make love to you on a kitchen work surface, you know, because we'd be making it unhygienic."

"Honestly Sheldon, you're so full of surprises these days that they're hardly surprising anymore."

"Oh." He looked downcast.

"No, but in a good way!" Amy insisted, honestly. "I love that you want to try all these new things, but I really am sore."

"Alright. Maybe tomorrow?" Sheldon asked hopefully.

"Nope." Amy replied.

For a moment, Sheldon looked downcast, until Amy finished her sentence; "Tomorrow we'll be dirtying every surface in my apartment!" She purred.

The pair started kissing again, and once they broke away, Sheldon pursed his lips.

"Is something wrong?" Amy asked.

"No…Just that…Well, who knows? We could have conceived tonight." Sheldon replied. "How strange would that be?"

"Very." Amy nodded. "But good strange, right?"

"Of course."

..


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews! FINALLY finished this module of my coursework, so had time to update my story! It's 5:30am over here right now, and I've been working on coursework and this chapter since 10pm so I'm hitting the pillows now! Thank God it's the weekend haha! And I thought you should all know that it's my birthday on 7****th**** June, and I'm having a party that weekend…Big Bang Theory Themed! Oh yes! Even getting a life-sized cardboard Sheldon shipped over from Pennsylvania for people to take pictures with! ;) That's how sad/cool I am LOL! Anyway, here's your update; hope you enjoy it. Please review. **

**.. **

"Amy…Are you aware that you have far too many books?" Sheldon grunted, struggling with a pile of books, which he dropped into a box.

It was the following day, and Amy was packing up her stuff with the help of Sheldon and their friends.

Amy turned around and laughed.

"This is hardly funny; I dropped them, now they're not in order!" Sheldon panicked, kneeling beside the box and re-organizing the books.

"Sheldon, you'll just be unpacking them again later. For once, try _not _to obsess over organization!" Howard sighed.

Sheldon blinked at him. "In the last decade, have you gotten to know me at all?"

"Sheldon wouldn't be Sheldon if he didn't have his organizational obsession." Amy grinned.

"And that's why we all just love him!" Leonard quipped, sarcastically.

Of course, Sheldon did not pick up on the sarcasm.

"Aw, thank you Leonard." He smiled.

"Well that's one of the many reasons I love him!" Amy grinned, abandoning her books and throwing her arms around her husband, planting a kiss on his cheek, and then his neck before walking away.

He felt a tingle run through his body as she kissed him.

They exchanged eye contact for a few moments, before Sheldon tore his gaze away.

"Um…Could you go and take those boxes down to the cars please and take them to our apartment?" Sheldon asked. "All of you."

Raj frowned. "But they aren't full yet."

"Raj, face it…Between the lot of you, the only muscle you really have is Penny."

"Hey!" Bernadette protested.

"I'm sorry Bernadette; you are also quite a brawny female." Sheldon added, "Now please could you all take the boxes down?"

"And what are you going to be doing?" Leonard asked, folding his arms and raising his eyebrows meaningfully.

"Well, I'm going to…Uh…Clean the surfaces for the next tenants." Sheldon said quickly, getting some dust on his hand and whipping out the Purell.

"Smooth." Leonard winked as the others passed him, armed with boxes. He bent down to pick one up. "We'll be back in about a half hour; I hope that's enough time!"

Sheldon swallowed. "Um…It'll have to be."

"Bye Sheldon!" Leonard sang, grinning as he shut the door.

"Thanks for staying to help me clean up." Amy said, handing Sheldon a duster.

He frowned down at it.

"I'm guessing you aren't aware that I got rid of our friends for a while so that I could engage in intercourse with you." He said.

"Oh!" Amy blinked.

"If you want to…Oh!" Sheldon trailed off as Amy cupper his face in her hands and kissed him.

"Wait, wait…" He said, tossing the duster aside and hoisting Amy up on to the now vacant bookcase.

"Sheldon, this is dusty!" She protested. "Wouldn't you prefer to do this somewhere cleaner?"

He looked down at the bookcase, and felt a slight panic.

He pushed it aside, taking a deep breath and focusing on Amy.

"Nope." He said at last, and without another word, the two of them began to undress rapidly, and Sheldon pushed into Amy, still kissing her intensely.

She rolled her hips against him as he thrust in and out of her, increasing his speed and going in deeper.

They both reached orgasm, moaning loudly before slowing down and coming to a complete stop.

Sheldon pulled out and almost had a heart attack.

"Amy! You're bleeding…"

"What?" She frowned, looking down. "I can't see anything."

She jumped down from the bookcase and let out a cry of pain, her legs buckling.

Sheldon held her up. "Were you on your period? I'm sorry I had no idea…"

"No." Amy shook her head. "Oh God it _hurts_!" She cried, her eyes stinging. "I think something's torn!"

"Oh no…I hurt you!" Sheldon winced. "I'm so sorry Amy. Is there anything I can do? Ugh I'm a terrible person!" He cursed himself.

"It was an accident. It's never happened before." Amy shook her head.

"You need to see a doctor, Amy. If you're internally bleeding it could result in something worse. One thing I do know is: never leave a sex injury un-treated!"

Amy nodded, grimacing through the pain. "I'll call them now." She hobbled towards her phone, with Sheldon helping her.

She called the doctor, and was given an emergency appointment that afternoon.

Sheldon had called their friends and let them know that Amy had to go to the doctor for an emergency appointment, but wouldn't tell them why.

As they returned to her apartment later on, with news that it was simply a tear and given some medication and told not to have sex for a couple of weeks whilst it healed, they set to work on moving her stuff out.

"So much for me making love to you on every surface in your apartment!" Sheldon whispered. "I'm such an idiot!"

"It's okay; you have surfaces at your…I mean _our _apartment!" She winked.

"That's true, but we'll also have to put off any baby-making." Sheldon made a face.

"It'll be okay." Amy replied. "It won't be for long!"

..

Three weeks after Amy had moved in with Sheldon and Leonard and settled into her new job, she was woken up early one weekend by Scooby growling and barking.

"What the hell?" She groaned, throwing back the covers and waking Sheldon in the process.

Amy padded into the living room, fumbling for a light switch.

Scooby was still growling, and Amy could see a figure in the kitchen.

"Scooby, it's me!" The figure hissed.

Amy flicked the light switch on, and Scooby ran at the figure.

"Scooby!"

"Leonard?"

"Oh Amy, thank God!" Leonard sighed with relief. "Your darn dog thought I was an intruder!"

Leonard had a bagel hanging out of his mouth and a mug of coffee in his hand.

"You're up early. It's six thirty." Amy commented, taking Scooby by his collar and leading him away from Leonard, who he had now backed down from and was trying to jump up at him playfully.

"I couldn't sleep and Penny wants me to meet her Dad properly again, as a real couple this time. He's happy that we're engaged and wants to have breakfast with us." Leonard replied, stifling a yawn.

Amy frowned. "You're ruining your appetite with that bagel." She giggled.

"I fell asleep early last night; paintball wore me out, thanks to that wonderful husband of yours." Leonard replied.

"Hmm…I heard." Amy nodded. "Sorry about that."

"It's hardly your fault. He wouldn't be Sheldon if he didn't push us past our limits." Leonard shrugged.

Amy nodded, frowning.

"Are you okay?" Leonard asked.

"I don't know…" Amy trailed off as she felt her stomach churn.

Leonard heard her stomach rumble, and held out the bagel. "You hungry?"

Amy retched and ran to the bathroom.

"I take that as a no then." Leonard frowned, putting the bagel back down and making his way through the hallway.

Sheldon had run out of the bedroom.

"I heard what sounded like Amy vomiting. What happened?" He asked, wide-eyed, but with bed hair.

"I have no idea. I guess she's sick. She was fine until I offered her some bagel." Leonard shrugged.

Sheldon took a deep breath and walked into the bathroom, looking away from the toilet, and leant down to rub Amy's back.

She put the lid down and flushed, moving over to the sink to wash her mouth out with water and mouthwash.

"Are you alright?" Sheldon asked.

"Never better." Amy answered groggily.

"You're shaking."

"Yes Sheldon, I am shaking." She replied tiredly.

He took the bottle of mouthwash of her and poured some into the cap, handing it to his wife.

"You can keep that now, I have my own." Sheldon said, producing another bottle of mouthwash from the cupboard. "Yours is the green one, mine is the light blue. Leonard uses the darker blue one."

"Okay, whatever." Amy nodded.

"I'll label them." Sheldon was saying.

"Yeah, fine."

Sheldon looked hurt at Amy's snippy tone, but she _had _just been sick, so he brushed it off.

"I'll uh…I'll leave you to it." He mumbled.

"Sheldon wait…I'm sorry. I just don't know where that came from." She replied, shaking her head. "I got sick out of nowhere and felt terrible, but I'm okay now."

"Would you like me to take care of you?" Sheldon asked.

Amy nodded.

"I'll sleep on the couch."

"Alright." Sheldon replied, as they made their way through to the living room and Amy settled herself on the couch, with her head by the door.

Sheldon put the yellow bowl next to her and a glass of water and some Saltines, before throwing a blanket over her.

He put a hand to her head; "You don't appear to have a temperature." He frowned.

"I feel fine now." Amy replied, reaching for a Saltine and nibbling it slowly.

"I can make you some ginger tea to soothe your stomach?" Sheldon offered.

"That would be lovely thank you." Amy nodded, closing her eyes.

He made the beverage and brought it over to his wife, pulling up a chair next to the couch and stroking her hair.

He knew perfectly well what was going on and was both scared and hopeful.

He took a breath. "I know…" He said.

"Know what?" Amy frowned, genuinely not knowing what he meant.

_Maybe he was wrong; surely she would know if she was, wouldn't she?..._

"Nothing." He replied, kissing her forehead. "Forget I said anything. Let's just focus on getting you better."

Amy nodded and fell asleep to Sheldon gently stroking her hair.


	48. Chapter 48

Amy had recovered around lunchtime and was busying herself in the kitchen, making some lunch.

Sheldon eyed her curiously as she started to add salami to her chicken sandwich.

She handed Sheldon his own plain chicken sandwich and sat beside him.

"Thank you but what's with your sandwich? You hate salami." Sheldon commented.

"Thought I'd try something new." Amy replied, "And I just felt like it…You get the weirdest cravings when you're sick, right?"

"Um…yes?"

Amy smiled and continued to eat her lunch contentedly.

Alarm bells were ringing in Sheldon's head.

"Amy…" He began, but there was a knock at the door.

Amy stood up and answered it.

There stood a teenage boy handing out flyers for a hand car wash business.

Amy politely declined and closed the door, returning to her seat. "Sorry, you were about to say something." She said, looking at her husband.

"Yes…Amy, look…This all seems too odd. Something is going on, and I think I know what it is. Although I'm not experienced in this area, it's not difficult to figure out…"

"Sheldon just spit it out!"

"I think you're pregnant." He blurted.

Amy sat staring at him. "That's not possible."

"It is possible. Remember, we had this discussion…"

"No Sheldon, it's not possible. I would know if it was!" Amy shook her head.

"But you were sick this morning, and now you're eating food that you claim you hate, you were snippy with me earlier. Something feels…Well, strange." Sheldon replied.

Amy slammed her plate onto the coffee table and stood up. "You're wrong Sheldon; I'd know if I was, and we both know it's almost near impossible! How could you put false hope into my head like that!?"

"Amy, I…"

But it was too late; she had stormed off into the bedroom and slammed the door.

Scooby wandered over from where he was eating his food and put his head on Sheldon's leg, whining softly.

Sheldon stroked the dog's ears softly. "I know, boy." He sighed.

Scooby hopped up onto the couch beside Sheldon and sat in the same spot Amy had just been in, and lay down, keeping Sheldon company.

..

After a few minutes, Sheldon sighed and stood up.

Scooby eyed him and cocked his head.

He let out a small woof, and Sheldon frowned.

"Why should I talk to her? _She_ got snappy with _me_."

Scooby barked again, a little louder this time.

"Fine." Sheldon rolled his eyes. "But if she yells again, it's on you."

As Sheldon wandered off, Scooby stretched out, taking up Sheldon's spot.

Sheldon opened the bedroom door and found Amy sitting on the bed, reading a magazine.

She looked up at the doorway.

"Amy look, I'm sorry that you're upset, but this behaviour you've been displaying is a sign. I don't want to get your hopes up, but what if you are? We can't ignore it." Sheldon said, sitting down. "We both wanted this, and we both know it's not completely impossible, just difficult."

Amy put her magazine down. "I know." She breathed. "I'm so sorry for yelling…I was reading this article and I think I see your point." She pointed to a page in her magazine.

Sheldon peered at the article and nodded.

_Ten signs that scream: 'you're pregnant!'_

"Well, we've eliminated the sickness, mood swings and change in appetite. What else have you been experiencing?" He asked.

"I don't want to say." Amy said, shyly.

"Go on, say. I won't judge you." Sheldon urged.

"Fine…You know I asked you to stop…you know, fondling my 'chest area' last week?"

"Yes, you said you didn't like it."

"That's a lie. I love it…It's a hell of a turn-on for me, but lately it's begun to hurt…_They've _begun to hurt!"

Sheldon blinked. "Okay…Cross off breast tenderness. Anything else? Back pains, stomach cramps, late period…?"

"You know I'm irregular anyway, so I hadn't noticed." Amy replied, "I've had a few cramps, but nothing major. No back pains."

Sheldon nodded, grabbing a pen from his bedside drawer and crossing off the symptoms that Amy had been feeling.

"Alright…Nauseated and feverish? Heightened sense of smell and metallic taste in your mouth? Lastly…Frequent urination?" Sheldon asked.

"Um…Yes, yes and…Oh my God yes!" Amy replied.

Sheldon just stared at her. "You need to take a test…Or two. Maybe three. Three is good."

"I will. I'll go get one now." Amy replied, standing up, but Sheldon stopped her.

"No need. I took the liberty of buying some when we first got back to California." He said, opening his closet and producing a cardboard box.

Opening it, he revealed an entire haul of unopened pregnancy tests.

"_Some!?_" Amy exclaimed.

"Well, $175 worth if you want to be picky." Sheldon shrugged.

Amy took out three boxes and was about to take the first one into the bathroom, when Sheldon stopped her.

"Wait! Before you go in there, let's not get our hopes up, even if you are…You know…"

Amy nodded. "I know. Just take each day as it comes."

"Exactly. Which is totally against everything I usually stand for, but in this case, it's best."

"I'm scared Sheldon." Amy whispered.

"Why?"

"What if I'm not? Or what if I am and it goes wrong like last time?"

"Then we keep trying until it goes right." The tall physicist answered, wrapping an arm around Amy's waist. "And if it helps, I'm kind of scared too."

Amy nodded and took a breath. "I'm going in." She said bravely, opening the bathroom door and slipping inside.

Sheldon nervously wandered into the kitchen, where Scooby was army-crawling on his front under the stools at the kitchen island.

Sheldon frowned. "Why?" He asked, and Scooby just looked up, his tongue hanging out.

It felt like a long time had passed when Amy finally emerged from the bathroom with the stick in her hand.

Her expression was unreadable.

Sheldon took this as bad news. "It's okay. We can try again." He said, wrapping his arms around his wife.

"This time I think we should leave it a year or so." Amy replied, sounding sombre.

Sheldon nodded. "If that's what you think is best."

"I do." Amy nodded, "Considering we may already have a three month old by then..."

Sheldon froze.

"I'm sorry?" He squeaked.

Amy turned over the stick and showed him, grinning.

"You…You're…"

"Yes!"

The couple threw themselves into a hug, excitedly.

"This is better than all the Star Trek series' and movies put together!" Sheldon cried.

"Anything is better than that!" Amy laughed, "But let's not get our hopes up, remember?"

"I know…Oh too late! I'm too excited; this is better than the time Professor Proton came to visit! Or, or, or…Or when I got sent to the Arctic! Or when I discovered my new Tuesday Hamburger!"

"Sheldon!" Amy cut in, "Focus…We know there's a problem with my reproductive cycle. This thing says I'm three weeks gone, but remember what happened last time after a month?"

"Then I'll do it right this time; I'll take care of you and make sure you're healthy and comfortably at all times and create the perfect environment for the…"

"Don't say it yet!" Amy warned.

"…Baby…" Sheldon trailed off. "Unless there are two again, in which case it would be _babies._" He rummaged in his desk drawer and pulled out a notebook and a pen. "Now, sit there and make yourself comfortable. I'm going to write a list of everything you need, and then I'll devise a routine. Let's start with the list…"

Sheldon opened the first page of the notebook and began scribbling a title.

"Okay, what would you need to make this run smoothly?" he asked.

Amy blinked. "Hmm…I'd need healthy food, like fruit, vegetables and pulses."

Sheldon noted that down.

"And plenty of _gentle _exercise, so walking would be good…Oh, and I can't have eggs, alcohol or caffeine. I'd also need to be comfortable…"

Sheldon nodded, scribbling this down. "Walking…No eggs, alcohol or caffeine…Need comfort…"

"And I'd also like my husband to calm down and not get his hopes up." Amy added.

"Husband calm d…Hey!" Sheldon stopped writing. "I'm sorry. I know I promised, but I can't help it! Do you feel no excitement whatsoever?"

Amy shifted uncomfortably. "Well…Maybe I do a little…"

Sheldon raised an eyebrow.

"Okay I do a lot!" Amy confessed. "But the fear of losing this one this time is making me think rationally."

Sheldon put his pen down on the notebook. "This is why I'm making the lists and schedules; so that this time, we can make all the necessary arrangements and changes so that there's a higher chance that the baby, slash _babies_, will survive."

Amy smiled. "Okay…List away!"

"No, I mean it." Sheldon said now, "I know we didn't know last time until it was too late, but we do know _this _time, and I want to make it up to you and take care of you. Then, if it does happen again, we'll know we tried everything we could."

That sounded logical.

Amy nodded in agreement, grinning. "Thinking logically as always, Dr Cooper."


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N: Wow! Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm glad you're all happy/excited! And another thank you to inwhatuniverse for the early birthday wishes! :) **

Leonard returned that afternoon, after spending all day with Penny and Wyatt, and found Sheldon and Amy huddled on the couch.

"Leonard you're back!" Sheldon said, rapidly whisking his hand away from Amy's stomach.

They had decided not to jinx it by telling anyone yet until they were in 'the safety zone'.

"Apparently." Leonard frowned. "How are you feeling, Amy?"

"Much better." She smiled. "How was your day with Penny and her dad?"

"Brilliant!" Leonard grinned. "So what made you sick? Are you ill? I'm surprised Sheldon is near you if you're sick." He joked.

"Oh, it was something I ate." Amy answered. "I was totally fine afterwards. Just one of those things."

"Yes, just one of those things." Sheldon added, trying to be casual and 'cool'.

Of course he failed.

"Um…Okay." Leonard replied.

"She ate Thai with me last night while you were eating with Penny, and the spice was too much for her." Sheldon added.

Amy cleared her throat loudly, signalling for Sheldon to shut up.

Of course, he didn't…

"So you really don't need to be suspicious about her vomiting in the morning instead of last night. Like Amy said it's just one of those things!"

"We'll see you later." Amy smiled, dragging Sheldon to the bedroom with her.

"Have fun, kids!" Leonard grinned impishly, as he poured some coffee.

Just as he heard the door close, he frowned. "Hang on…Saturday isn't Thai food night!"

..

"Way to go, Dr Blabbermouth!" Amy hissed. "You almost gave it away."

"Well the fact is I didn't a_ctually _tell him!" Sheldon replied, crossing his arms. "You know I hate secret-keeping, and if I'm 'Dr Blabbermouth', that makes you _Mrs _'Dr Blabbermouth'. You're certainly a lot more blabby than I am!"

Amy rolled her eyes, but it was betrayed by a small smile.

"What?" Sheldon asked.

"Do you realise how much you're turning me on?" Amy purred.

Sheldon stared at her. "How can…? Amy what do you mean? I didn't do anything!"

"You don't have to."

"Okay, that will be your hormones going into overdrive!"

He was about to walk out of the room, but Amy grabbed him by the hand and pinned him to the door, kissing him intensely on the lips, running her mouth down his jawline, neck and eventually his ear.

"Amy, stop. This is highly inappropriate!"

"Why?"

"You're pregnant, and if we engage in coitus we might…Do some damage."

"Sheldon, we've been having sex for the past three weeks I've been pregnant, and we only found out today." Amy replied as she backed him up to the bed and he fell onto it.

"Regardless. We know now and don't want to jinx it." Sheldon answered.

But Amy had already removed her clothes and straddled him, rubbing her bare chest against his shirt-covered torso.

She pulled him towards her with his own shirt collar. "I want you to take me, Sheldon." She whispered in a sultry voice; "So take me, my Texan Stud!"

Her pet name for him drove him crazy, but he still tried to resist.

That was until Amy ran her hand down his body, cupping and rubbing him through his slacks.

In an instant, he had grabbed her and flipped her so that she was on her back, legs apart and he had slipped between them after removing his clothes.

Their lovemaking lasted only fifteen minutes, after which, the couple had laid back down to cuddle.

Amy's head was on Sheldon's chest and her eyes were closed as she regulated her breathing.

"Do you still feel pregnant?" Sheldon asked.

Amy chuckled. "Yes."

"Good."

"You know what's weird? I really _do _feel pregnant this time." Amy smiled. "Last time I had no idea; no symptoms, nothing."

"Then maybe this is a good sign." Sheldon replied, lacing his fingers through Amy's fruit-scented hair.

..

On Monday, Amy had called the doctor and had been referred to visit a Gynaecologist that Thursday for a dating scan.

As Thursday rolled around, Amy sat nervously in the waiting room, waiting for Sheldon to finish work and meet her there.

He arrived three minutes early, and sat down beside Amy.

"Sorry I'm late." He whispered. "Alex was asking me all these questions. I couldn't leave."

"You're three minutes early." Amy replied.

"Yes, and usually I am five minutes early." Sheldon answered.

Amy raised her eyebrows and read her magazine.

Seconds later, she felt a hand requesting permission to hold hers.

She looked up and allowed Sheldon to curl his hand around hers, in a silent gesture of support.

Amy smiled, and then heard her name being called out.

"Would you like me to stay here or come with you?" Sheldon asked as Amy stood.

"Can you come with me?" She asked. "I'm terrified."

Sheldon nodded bravely and rose to his feet, accompanying his wife into the small room.

"Hi there, I'm Dr Farrow." The brunette haired woman smiled, extending her hand.

Amy shook her hand, and Sheldon reluctantly followed, before taking a seat beside Amy.

"So, this is your first child?" Dr Farrow asked.

"Um…Yes. We were expecting twins just under three months ago, but…Well, I miscarried." Amy answered.

"So the notes tell me," Dr Farrow replied sadly. "I'm so sorry. Although twins sharing a placenta is often risky."

"We didn't know Amy was expecting." Sheldon explained, "She was apparently four weeks pregnant but lost the babies at the same time. She didn't show symptoms like she is this time."

Dr Farrow nodded. "Okay, well that's a positive start; do you have any idea how far along you are now, Amy?"

"The test said 3 weeks." Amy replied.

"Ah, those things aren't always accurate. Just approximate; would you like to hop up onto the bed and we'll perform an ultrasound." Dr Farrow said, patting the examination bed and switching on the monitor and setting up the equipment.

Amy shyly hoisted herself onto the bed.

"I need to ask a few questions first," Dr Farrow said, as she squirted gel onto Amy's stomach. "Have you had any bleeding or spotting?"

"No," Amy replied.

"Have you experienced any pain or discomfort?"

"Discomfort yes, but nothing bad. Just what I would assume is normal for a pregnancy."

Dr Farrow nodded in response as she rolled the wand over Amy's abdomen.

The doctor blinked. "Interesting!"

"Oh God, what?" Amy panicked.

"Amy, do twins run in your family?"

"They run frequently in Sheldon's family. There have been a few cases in mine, but not as many as his."

"In whose side of your family, Amy?" The doctor asked.

"My Mom's." Amy replied. "I wasn't a twin and neither was she, but my grandmother and great aunt were. They were fraternal I believe."

"You never told me that." Sheldon said.

"Because I thought that was the only case of twins in my family." Amy replied, "But apparently I was wrong. Every third generation in my family. Plus I only just found out recently after I spoke to my mother about the twins."

"Fair enough." Sheldon nodded. "Why do you ask, Dr Farrow? Our twins never made it."

"Hmm no, but these ones did…" The doctor responded, pointing to the screen.

In amongst the grey fuzzy image of Amy's uterus, there were two small round masses spaced a little way apart.

"These are actually measuring 5 weeks, and are growing at a healthy rate." The doctor grinned. "Congratulations!"

Sheldon's face fell. "Wait…Five weeks?" He looked at Amy. "We were still in Florida then, and that was when we were using protection because we agreed to try again when we came home."

Amy frowned at him. "That sounds a little accusatory!"

"Well, how can this have happened? Believe me, I'm thrilled, but…I can't help but wonder…"

"If I was unfaithful to you!" Amy snapped. "How dare you even insinuate that I'd do such a thing? I'm around you all day, every day, unless I am at work!"

"Sir, it is possible that the condom could have torn." Dr Farrow stepped in calmly. "Whether the tear was visible to the naked eye or not, is irrelevant. A sperm cell is only…"

"55 microns in length. I know." Sheldon sighed. "Unless we ever did it unprotected around that time?"

"We had shower sex a few times." Amy muttered.

"Ohhh! You're right." Sheldon said in reply, "I thought that because we were in water…"

He didn't get to finish his sentence before Dr Farrow shook her head. "Nope. That's only really applicable to baths and swimming pools…And also hot tubs."

"Oh. How could I have not known that?"

Dr Farrow shrugged. "Anyway, because of previous complications, your midwife and I will need to see you more often to make sure everything is okay. I can contact our finest midwife, who is actually available now as her last client just gave birth. I'll give her a call and let her know." Dr Farrow said, as she left the room. "I'll be back with you in a minute."

Amy and Sheldon sat in silence for a few moments.

"I can't believe you almost accused me of cheating on you!" Amy hissed.

"I am so sorry. I just thought…"

"I know what you thought. Jackass!"

Sheldon looked sad for a moment. "I'm sorry; that was wrong of me. I know you would never be unfaithful. I was just shocked, I guess. You know, they really should put warnings on condom packets."

Amy frowned at him. "They do. They say 'not 100% effective; for peace of mind, use in correlation with other methods of birth control."

"Oh." Sheldon shifted uncomfortably. "I did not read that part."

Amy giggled. "It doesn't matter. This is a good thing…Well, maybe. We're already a week ahead of where we were before."

"That's true." Sheldon nodded.

He realized that Dr Farrow had left the monitor on, and he stood up and sneakily picked up the wand, running it over Amy's stomach again, until he saw the two little masses on the screen again.

"Sheldon, what are you doing? You'll get in trouble!" Amy giggled, looking round at the screen.

"They look so strange!" Sheldon commented.

"They won't stay like that forever." Amy replied.

At that moment, Dr Farrow re-entered the room, and Sheldon hastily put down the wand, his face flushing pink.

The doctor smiled. "Taking another look were you?"

"Uh, I was just…"

"Don't worry about it." She winked. "I didn't see you! Now, I've spoken to Julie the midwife, you're all booked with her. Your first appointment will be next Monday at midday, just to meet each other and so on. Your next appointment with me will be at 8 weeks, so three weeks from now." She handed Amy an appointment card. "Just to check everything is still going good, and if you have any problems, don't hesitate to call me or Julie. Also, because you carried twins before, even if you didn't give birth to them, it's still highly possible to fall pregnant with them again since twins run in your families. Also you're just over 30, and because you have irregular ovulation, sometimes that means you can hyperovulate, so two eggs got fertilised at once. There's your information pamphlet, and we'll see you in three weeks for your check-up." Dr Farrow smiled. "Any questions?"

Amy and Sheldon looked at each other.

"Um…What can we do to ensure that Amy stays pregnant this time?" Sheldon asked.

"That's in your pamphlet too, but in this case, be super careful with everything; so if you have sex, don't be too rough, eat healthily and avoid all foods that are listed on page 11 of the booklet, drink plenty, rest plenty and just steer clear of cigarettes, drugs, alcohol…The usual, but stricter this time."

"Thank you." Amy grinned.

"You're welcome, and congratulations. See you in three weeks!" Dr Farrow smiled as Amy and Sheldon left the small room and made their way out to Amy's car.

"I like her; she seems to know what she's doing!" Sheldon commented.

"Ooooh, have a crush do we, Sheldon?" Amy sang.

"Be realistic Amy! I love you and you're bearing my progeny. I wouldn't want to look at another woman." Sheldon replied.

"And the same applies for you!" Amy said, turning to face him. "Look, I know that hearing I'm five weeks along instead of three was a bit of a shock, I was shocked too! But there was no need to insinuate that I was unfaithful to you. You know it's always been you." She said, softly and almost sadly. "Sheldon, I don't want anyone else. Sure, you can be annoying as hell to some people and heck, even to me, but I wouldn't change you for the world, and I wouldn't even _glance_ in another man's direction. I'm married to _you_, I want children with _you_. I love _you_!"

Sheldon hung his head. "I'm sorry Amy."

"It's okay." She sighed, "Who cares anyway? We're going to be parents!"

"Maybe." Sheldon nodded, "If everything goes to plan."

"It will, because we're the Coopers. We can get through anything together, right?"

"Well, past experience says that we can, so technically…"

"Oh my God, Sheldon, get to the point!"

"Yes. We can."

The two of them grinned excitedly and wrapped each other in a tight hug, before getting into the car and driving home.

..

Once they arrived back at the apartment building and ascended the stairs, Amy turned to Sheldon.

"I still don't think we should tell anyone about the babies just yet." She whispered. "Until we know for sure that it's safe. Let's say at 12 weeks."

"But Amy! You know I am awful at secret keeping, and we have another seven weeks until then! That's almost two months." Sheldon protested.

"Please Sheldon?" Amy pleaded.

"Alright." He agreed. "I'll just avoid them for seven weeks."

Amy frowned. "Good plan."

They unlocked the door and stepped inside, to find Leonard sat in the chair that faced the door.

"Oh hello guys…How are the babies?" He asked.

Sheldon and Amy froze, and it felt as though time was standing still.

One question ran through both of their minds at that moment;

_How did he know?!_

..

**A/N: I'll probably get flamed and questioned to hell again for this chapter, so I'd like to just say beforehand that I **_**did **_**research the whole twin pregnancy thing before writing this chapter, like I do when I write anything science or medical-related. (** twins/chance-of-having-twins-again-after-one-set-o f-twins-190634**) I looked on some other websites too, and apparently it **_**is **_**possible. So blame them, not me ;) Please refrain from flaming, I am **_**not**_** going to re-type this or delete my story no matter what anyone says, so you'd be wasting your time. Nobody said you had to read it, and it **_**is **_**fiction after all, so of course it will be OOC! :) Thank you to those who have been following and reviewing etc. it really means a lot that you enjoy it! Next chapter coming soon! X **


	50. Chapter 50

**A/N: Thank you again for all the reviews! Here's chapter 50…**

..

Amy and Sheldon stood stock still, staring at Leonard.

Sheldon started twitching and Amy noticed this.

"This isn't our place. We have to go." Sheldon spluttered in a panic as he shot back down the stairs.

Amy ran after him and finally caught up.

"Sheldon, what the hell was that! He's only going to ask next time you see him!" She hissed.

"I know. How did he find out? I thought we agreed not to tell anyone!" Sheldon replied. "I have an idea; let's go to my mother's house. She'll welcome us and the babies with open arms and we can live there happily ever after for the rest of our lives."

"Sheldon, snap out of it!" Amy said, "I am _not _flying all the way to Texas after being home from Florida for only three weeks!"

"Okay…Is next week good for you?"

"No Sheldon. I am not flying whilst I'm pregnant, do you hear me! Not after last time. Flying is too risky."

Sheldon sighed. "How does he know?"

"I have no idea. Let's just go back and speak to him." Amy shrugged. "If he knows somehow, we may as well ask him _how_ he knows."

The two of them trooped back up the stairs and into the apartment, with Sheldon loudly announcing. "Oh, I was right the first time. I blame that lapse in my memory on Amy striking me round the head earlier."

Amy frowned at him, as did Leonard.

"Amy struck you? When?"

"Yes Sheldon… _when_ exactly?" Amy raised her eyebrows.

"Okay, Amy didn't hit me. That was a ruse." Sheldon replied.

"A pretty stupid one!" Leonard crossed his arms. "What's going on with you two? I asked you how the babies were and you freaked out."

Sheldon closed and locked the door. "That's the thing…" He began, before towering over Leonard, folding his own arms. "How _do _you know?"

"Well let's see…Um, the morning Amy got sick for one thing; it wasn't just the sickness that got me, but also that bullcrap about the Thai food. You don't eat Thai food on Saturday nights, Sheldon! You eat them on Mondays. Also, no offence Amy, but you have gained a little weight after coming back from Florida looking like a supermodel! Uh…Also the three positive pregnancy tests _very _convincingly hidden in a trash can, and also your new midwife Julie called to confirm your appointment next week, and congratulated you on expecting twins."

Sheldon and Amy blinked, completely stunned into silence.

"Ah…That's pretty conclusive evidence." Sheldon said, pursing his lips.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Leonard asked.

"_Us!? _Who else have you told?!" Sheldon spluttered.

"Nobody, I was going to leave that up to you. But come on, I live with you. Amy's been acting weird, and don't think I didn't catch you cradling her stomach yesterday when I got home." Leonard raised his eyebrows.

"Oh…You saw that."

"Yes Sheldon, I saw that. No matter how quickly you moved your hand away! I'd already kind of figured it out by then anyway."

"Please, _please_ don't tell anyone!" Sheldon pleaded. "We only just found out ourselves, and after what happened with our last pregnancy, we don't want anything to jinx this one."

Leonard sighed. "I promise I won't tell anyone. You have my word, and I understand that. I just wish you'd told me sooner, I mean we all live under the same roof; it would have been nice to have been told so I could offer to help you guys out if you needed it."

"Is it too late to ask for your help?" Sheldon asked shyly.

"Of course not buddy, you know I'm here for both of you. When have I ever let you down?"

"That's true." Amy finally spoke, "Thank you Leonard. We're sorry we didn't say anything to you…"

Leonard held up his hands. "It's fine. I totally understand; I'd be the same if I was in your position."

"Please promise you won't tell Penny or anyone else?" Amy asked. "We want to wait until it's been 3 months and then we should be in the clear."

"Hmm…I don't know…" Leonard teased.

"Pleeeease Leonard! I'll polish all of your action figures, I'll re-organize your comic books, I'll clean your room for a month!" Sheldon gabbled.

"So…What you're saying is that in return for my silence on the matter, you're willing to be my bitch?" Leonard raised his eyebrows.

"Your bi…Leonard! I would not call it that at all!"

"Say it or else I'll go pay Penny a little visit…"

Sheldon looked between Amy and Leonard, before rolling his eyes and sighing.

"I'm your bitch." He muttered, reluctantly.

"I was only kidding about that." Leonard smiled. "You don't have to do anything for me; I promise not to tell anyone."

Amy hugged him, relieved, as her husband glared at him.

"Thank you Leonard." Sheldon put in at last.

"So…Twins again? How did that happen?" Leonard asked.

Amy shrugged. "Twins run in both sides of our families; more notably in Sheldon's, but also in mine. Every third generation to be exact; I only just found that out, and guess who's the next third generation?"

"Well, it's hard to know for sure, but I'm gonna go with you!" Leonard smiled.

"Yes! That and because I'm just over the age of thirty, am irregular and prone to hyperovulation and also because we have conceived twins before, it's possible to conceive them again. All of those factors!" Amy finished.

"That's incredible!" Leonard shook his head. "I didn't even know that was possible."

"Neither did I." Amy confessed.

"So, Shelly... How are you dealing with this?" Leonard grinned.

Sheldon shrugged. "I'm okay. I mean our offspring will be geniuses like us! How cool is that?"

Leonard frowned. "No I mean in general…How are you coping with the thought of becoming a dad?" He leaned back in his seat, sipping his coffee.

Sheldon didn't say a word.

_I'm going to be a dad…_

Suddenly it felt too real.

"I um…I need to lie down. It's been a long day." Sheldon said, getting to his feet and walking to the bedroom.

"It's four-thirty and he left work early!" Leonard frowned.

Amy's heart plummeted. "That's not it Leonard." She replied sadly, "I think he's just realized that this isn't fantasy any more, or just a case of making babies now. This is it…its happening." Her eyes brimmed with tears, and Leonard scooted over to the couch to comfort her.

"We all know what he's thinking now, don't we?" Amy sobbed. "He's regretting this."

"But he was fine with it earlier." Leonard frowned.

"You asked him how he's coping with the thought of being a dad." Amy replied.

"Yeah…?"

"Exactly. Calling him the father is one thing; he _is _the father of my children, but calling him a _dad_ is…Its too real, and now he's going to freak out, demand I terminate them and probably avoid me forever."

"Oh God, I see…" Leonard bit his lip. "I'll go talk to him. Be right back."

..

Leonard walked into Sheldon's room, and found his best friend sat on the edge of his bed, sorting through his shirts.

"You didn't knock, Leonard." Sheldon remarked without turning his head.

"How did you know it was me?"

"I know how you sound when you walk. If it was Amy, she'd be light footed. You just kind of shuffle along."

"Oh…" Leonard frowned, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "So…Sorting through your shirts, huh?"

Sheldon turned to raise an eyebrow at his friend. "Yes. Why?"

"Amy's upset; she's crying." Leonard said, softly.

Sheldon shot to his feet, his eyes wide. "Why is she upset? Today is a good day! Did something happen? Is she okay? Are the babies okay? Is she.."

"One question at a time." Leonard interrupted. "The babies are fine, but Amy thinks you're freaking out."

"I am not freaking out. I'm sorting my clothes."

"You're rearranging what order you're going to wear them in." Leonard replied, "You did this before when we told you that we'd bought new stools for the kitchen island last year."

"They were a whole two milometers taller than the last ones!" Sheldon replied defensively, "And I only came in here to sort my shirts out then because I felt I needed a change."

Leonard cocked an eyebrow. "So what's your excuse this time?"

Sheldon said nothing.

"Is it because I asked how you're coping with becoming a dad?" Leonard asked softly.

He saw Sheldon flinch.

"Would it be easier if I asked you how you're coping with becoming a _father_?" Leonard tried.

Sheldon sighed. "Actually, yes…The whole 'dad' thing is too…It reminds me of _my_ dad. He failed us, and I don't want to do the same thing. I mean, I'm still a little emotionally impaired aren't I?"

"You're a lot of things impaired." Leonard sighed, sitting next to Sheldon, who had sat back down again. "But you've come on leaps and bounds these past few months. You wanted children with Amy!"

"I know, but…What if I mess up like my dad did? Amy will be alone with two children, and I don't want that."

"Why would she be alone Sheldon? Would you leave her?"

"No…_She_ would leave _me_."

"Sheldon, what's really the difference between being called 'father' or 'dad'? It doesn't make you a bad person. Being called 'dad' by your kids doesn't mean you'll screw up, and Amy won't leave you."

Sheldon sighed.

"We were the only kids in the neighborhood who called our father 'dad'. In fact he insisted upon it, otherwise he'd yell at us to 'stop being so damn soft'. All the other kids called their fathers 'pop', or 'pa'. Those kids had normal, happy families. We had a drunk who cheated on our mother and was abusive after he'd had a few." He said quietly. "He influenced my brother George to be exactly like him. Missy shows some of his characteristics, like the gallivanting with various sexual partners. Surely that must mean I'm flawed too?"

"Maybe you are," Leonard shrugged, "Bu the fact that you're worrying about it, and worrying whether the fact your kids calling you 'dad' will make you a bad person like _your_ dad, shows that you really aren't like him at all."

Sheldon gave a small smile.

"Besides I really don't see you being drunk at the wheel or shacking up with other women!" Leonard snorted. "And I definitely don't see you being violent towards Amy; hell you apologised to her for an accidental sexual injury! What does that tell you?"

"That tells me that these walls are thinner than I thought." Sheldon replied with a frown, "And I suppose that a term of endearment won't necessarily result in me being an aggressive, alcohol addict with an overactive sex drive, and need for the attention of slutty women."

"There you go." Leonard said softly, "Now I think you need to explain all this to Amy. She thinks you don't want the babies now because this is all too real."

"It is real." Sheldon replied, "But I'm not worried about that. Of course I want them! They're my babies too."

He stood up and opened the door, before pausing.

"Thank you Leonard." He said quietly.

"You're welcome." Leonard smiled, watching his friend walk over to Amy and plant a kiss on her lips.


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N: Thanks for reviewing! I know I'm updating quickly and frequently, but I literally have nothing to do. (It's a long weekend/Bank Holiday over here in the UK at the moment, so I have no work and no college until tomorrow!) So you're stuck with another quick update; sorry! :P**

**..**

Over the next few weeks, Amy and Sheldon were finding it hard not to give anything away about the pregnancy.

Amy still felt pregnant, which was giving them both hope, and she was finding it increasingly difficult each week to conceal her growing baby bump, but she had been given some medication to stop her sickness.

The worst problem was group gatherings and girls' nights.

This particular week, Amy was sat at Penny's apartment with Penny and Bernadette.

"Who wants some wine?" Penny asked, reaching for the bottle and three glasses.

"Yes please!" Bernadette smiled.

"Oh, not for me, thank you." Amy said, apologetically.

Penny frowned. "Really? How come?"

"I'm watching my weight." Amy lied. "I've put on weight lately, and I decided to watch what I eat and drink."

"Wine is nothing." Penny smiled, "Go on Amy."

"No, no…I really can't. I've just gone on a diet. I'm cutting out all alcohol and fatty foods."

"That would explain why you've been eating healthier!" Bernadette piped up. "I thought it was because we might be hearing the pitter-patter of tiny Cooper babies soon!"

Amy swallowed hard.

"Nope. You know the odds are low." She lied again, mentally kicking herself for having to lie to her best friends.

"Fair enough. No wine for Amy, who's watching her weight!" Penny smiled. "I don't wanna hurt your feelings, but I had noticed you'd gotten a little thicker." She added apologetically. "But I didn't want to say anything and upset you. I mean out in Florida and when you came back, you looked amazing! Not that you don't now of course, but…"

"I know, but it's okay. I know what you mean; I have let myself go since being back home." Amy answered.

And the lies continued.

Sheldon was having a much harder time lying, so he spent most of his lunch breaks in his office instead of the cafeteria.

On the few occasions he did sit with his friends at lunch, Leonard would keep the topic away from relationships or baby talk.

Like today for example;

"Gentlemen." Sheldon greeted, setting his tray down at the table that Howard and Raj had saved.

Leonard followed closely behind, but got stopped by President Siebert, who wanted to ask him to take on a new project.

Sheldon timidly sat at the table.

"Hey Sheldon. Haven't seen much of you lately." Howard remarked, biting into his spaghetti.

"Oh, well I've been busy." Sheldon replied, taking his satchel off and storing it under the table.

"Hey, have you heard that Dr Turner is on maternity leave now?" Raj said.

"Yeah, I heard. Sorry Raj." Howard replied.

"I can't believe she's gone. I loved her." Raj whined.

"I thought you liked Alex?" Sheldon frowned.

"Keep up, that was last year." Raj scoffed. "Ever since I broke up with Lucy, I've held a candle for Rosanna Turner. She's hot! But now she's all pregnant by her stupid boyfriend." He threw his fork down in frustration.

"Uh…That's her husband. She's married." Howard replied.

"What!? Oh man, that just makes it worse!" Raj complained. "Anyway, speaking of babies, are you and Amy still trying?"

Sheldon's eyes widened, and he started twitching.

"Uh…Sheldon?" Howard inquired.

"That's a very uncomfortable topic to discuss at work in the cafeteria." Sheldon answered, nervously.

"Oh…Do you wanna go talk privately in your office?" Howard offered.

"No!"

Howard and Raj frowned.

Sheldon swallowed. "Uh…No. It's um…The thing is…"

"Guys, it's not best to ask Sheldon about babies right now." Leonard cut in, finally joining the table. "He's still cut up over the miscarriage, aren't you buddy?"

"Yes…Cut up…Like a hotdog in spaghetti." Sheldon spluttered.

Howard and Raj nodded.

"Fair enough. Sorry." Raj said.

"Sorry Sheldon." Howard added.

The two of them returned to eating their food, as Sheldon mouthed 'thank you' at Leonard.

Leonard winked in response.

..

"Amy! Are you ready?" Sheldon called through the apartment.

"Yep, coming!" She replied, emerging from the bathroom with her jacket on, pushing her bag onto her shoulder.

Today was their 12 week scan.

Amy had been checked over a month before at 8 weeks, just to check that everything was running smoothly.

Thankfully, both babies were fine, although Sheldon and Amy hadn't looked at the screen when the ultrasound had been performed, because they wanted to wait until 12 weeks to see how much the babies had grown since the dating scan.

"I'll be so glad when we can tell everyone." Amy sighed as they descended the stairs, "I can't keep hiding the bump and making excuses. I think everyone's starting to get suspicious as to why my so-called 'diet' is actually making me gain weight as opposed to losing it!"

Sheldon nodded as they reached the car. "Me too."

..

After arriving at the doctors' office, Amy was called in almost instantly.

"Sheldon, I'm scared." She turned around and whispered.

"It will be fine." He replied, sounding more confident than he felt.

Amy seemed to accept it though, as they entered Dr Farrow's room.

"Hey Amy, Hi Sheldon! How are things?" She greeted.

"Good, we think." Amy smiled.

"Any complications?"

"Nope."

"Unless you count keeping the pregnancy secret as a complication?" Sheldon piped up.

Dr Farrow laughed. "I hope you're not planning on keeping it secret for too long. You're having twins, remember? Your bump will be getting bigger than it would with only one baby inside."

"We were planning on telling everyone after today if I haven't miscarried." Amy confessed. "We didn't want to jinx it early on."

"Ah, good idea." Dr Farrow nodded. "You and Julie seem to have hit it off, so I hear!"

"She's an amazing midwife, she's been so helpful." Amy smiled.

"Excellent. She's our best midwife!" Dr Farrow smiled, pulling on her gloves. "Right, you know the drill." She patted the bed, and Amy eased herself up and lay down as the Gynaecologist prepared the monitor.

Sheldon took a deep breath and nervously stood beside the bed, stroking Amy's arm.

She reached for his hand as Dr Farrow moved the stick over Amy's growing stomach.

"Let's turn up the volume…" Dr Farrow said, pressing some buttons until a loud, muffled booming sound filled the room.

"What's that?" Sheldon asked.

"That would be two heartbeats." Dr Farrow grinned.

"Shouldn't there be three?" Sheldon asked.

"Nope. I'd need to move this higher to hear Amy's heartbeat. The ones you hear are coming from the twins!"

She moved the stick lower until she had found one of the babies, and then moved it again until she found the second.

Both were active, and the two scientists couldn't help but stare at the screen in awe.

"Fascinating." Sheldon whispered. "So they're both okay?"

"They look great!" Dr Farrow grinned broadly. "You're past the danger zone now, Amy. Obviously, we'd still like to do regular check-ups with you just to be on the safe side but I think you'll carry full term this time."

Amy grinned, ecstatic. "I can't believe how big they are now! A few weeks ago, they were two tiny little round shapes, and now they're actual babies!"

"And this time, you get to keep the scan photos!" Dr Farrow smiled, as she marked 'baby 1 and baby 2' on the screengrabs before printing off two copies of each.

As she handed the photos to both parents, Amy started crying.

"What's wrong? I thought this would make you happy." Sheldon said putting an arm around her shoulders.

"I am happy." Amy answered, wiping her eyes. "I'm overwhelmed with happiness! I really thought we would lose them."

Dr Farrow put a hand on Amy's other arm, comfortingly. "It's natural to feel like this if you've miscarried before. You've done exceptionally well at looking after your body, and the babies have benefitted from it; you're glowing, Amy! Give yourself a break. You'll all be fine." She said softly.

"Thank you." Amy replied, smiling.

"No problem. I'll see you in another four weeks." Dr Farrow smiled, handing Amy an appointment card. "Take care, and don't forget to tell your family and friends now!"

Amy laughed as they left the room and entered the parking lot, where she threw her arms around her husband and kissed him passionately as he let his hands rest lovingly on either side of her bump.

..

As they arrived back at the apartment, Leonard had gathered everyone together as a surprise, although none of them knew why.

Sheldon opened the door, and found everyone sitting in the living room, talking amongst themselves.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Penny grinned. "Been out for a romantic walk?"

"Not quite." Sheldon smiled. "We actually have some news…"

Everyone fell silent and looked at Sheldon and Amy, expectantly.

"I'm pregnant again!" Amy announced, excitedly.

Penny and Bernadette screamed and ran to hug Amy, whilst the guys congratulated her and Sheldon.

"Aww…I thought you might be; I knew this whole diet thing was covering up something!" Penny said, smiling broadly.

"Congratulations Amy." She and Bernadette said in unison.

"So…You're not mad that I lied to you?" Amy asked. "Because we knew for a while but didn't want to jinx it by telling people, just in case I lost them again."

"Of course not, we understand." Penny replied.

"Wait…Lost _them_!?" Bernadette frowned. "When you say 'them'…"

"I mean twins again." Amy beamed.

"Oh my God!" Both of her friends threw their hands to their mouths.

"That is amazing! We are so happy for you guys…Sheldon, get over here!" Penny called, dragging her neighbor away from where he was getting congratulations and 'knew you had it in you' from the guys!

"Aww, you dog, you!" Penny grinned, "Come here, daddy Sheldon!" She extended her arms to hug him.

"Ohhh no, that's really not necess…" But he was cut off by Penny and Bernadette wrapping him in a massive hug.

He wriggled free, clearing his throat. "Yes, well…Thank you…For that."

"Oh lighten up! You're going to hug your kids aren't you? Surely you can hug your friends?" Bernadette said.

"Yes, but children – and Amy – are different! They are my family." Sheldon replied.

"We're family too." Leonard piped up. "Whether you like it or not!"

Amy laughed.

"Actually, I do like it." Sheldon shrugged. "I've accommodated room for all of you in my life. First as friends, but you have become like family to me over time." He shifted uncomfortably as he spoke. "I guess I'll get used to you all hugging me at some point; it's not as bad as I thought…"

"Awww!" The girls swooned.

"That killed you to say, didn't it?" Howard whispered.

"It was true." Sheldon answered, wrapping one arm around Amy, and placing his other hand on her stomach. "But yeah. Killed me!"

..

**Chapter 52 coming soon…**


	52. Chapter 52

**A/N: Prepare for fluff overload throughout most of this chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**..**

That evening, the gang celebrated with Sheldon and Amy to congratulate them.

After they had left and gone to bed, Sheldon and Amy retired to bed too.

Sheldon sat next to Amy on the bed, and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her lovingly.

He laid her down gently on the bed, still kissing her, and stroking her stomach softly.

"I need you now." Amy whispered, her hormones going into overdrive.

"Okay my Vixen." Sheldon murmured against her lips, as he helped Amy lift her shirt over her head and slip off her skirt.

"I may need to buy some more comfortable clothes instead of skirts." Amy said.

"It's up to you, but I love the way you dress." Sheldon replied, "Very classy and ladylike. I like that."

They finished peeling each other's clothing off, and Sheldon laid Amy down again, surrounded by pillows as extra comfort for her back, as he carefully pushed himself into her.

They made love slowly and carefully, with Sheldon taking extra care to be gentle and not to hurt her or the babies.

Amy reached orgasm quickly, which caused Sheldon to finish shortly after, before withdrawing and wrapping both arms tightly around her, burying his face in her hair.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Mmhmm." Amy nodded dreamily.

Sheldon kissed her head, running his hand down her body again to cradle her bump.

"Sheldon?" Amy said softly.

"Yes?"

"I love you my Texan Stud!"

"I love you too my Vixen."

..

There was a clatter of a plastic bowl and a milk carton falling on the kitchen floor one morning.

Sheldon looked up from where he was packing his satchel for work.

Amy was about to bend over to retrieve the dropped items, when a whirl of red and black appeared next to her.

Sheldon, in his black pants and black undershirt, with his red Flash shirt over the top had come to the rescue.

"Don't strain yourself, I've got it." He said, bending to pick up the bowl and the milk.

The milk carton had split and the white liquid had created a puddle on the kitchen floor.

"Oh no!" Amy groaned, as her eyes welled up. "I can't believe I did that." She began sobbing.

"It's nothing. We have more milk in the fridge." Sheldon said, rubbing Amy's back. "Don't worry about it."

"O-okay." Amy replied, trying to calm her emotions down.

Sheldon took another milk carton from the fridge and opened it for Amy. "There, no harm done." He smiled.

"Thank you Sheldon. You're being so great with me and my stupid hormones." Amy said, wiping her eyes with a piece of kitchen tissue, before taking a deep breath and launching herself at Sheldon, kissing him passionately, slipping her tongue between his lips.

At first, he responded, but then Amy got a little too caught up in the moment and the kiss turned heated as she began to caress him through his pants until he was semi-erect.

"Mmph!" He broke away, "Amy, I have to go to work. I can't have coitus with you now, I'm sorry."

"It's okay…I know that you're totally repulsed by me now. I mean look at me; I'm fat and disgusting! She started sobbing again.

Sheldon didn't know what to do.

He was confused by Amy's changing moods, but he tried his best.

"Amy…You are not fat, you're pregnant. Also, you are in no way disgusting. You're the most beautiful woman in the world to me." He said softly.

"Really?

"Really."

"Oh Sheldon!" She lunged at him again, kissing him and biting his lower lip, her hands grabbing his butt as she pressed herself against him.

He felt his semi-erection stand to full attention, and mentally cursed himself for being so weak.

_Darn baser urges! But I guess it wouldn't matter if I was a little late…_

"I suppose it won't matter if I turn up a little late, just this once…" He said, and Amy took him by his shirt collar, into the bedroom.

From his basket, Scooby looked up and cocked his head.

He knew where this was going!

He sighed loudly and snorted as Leonard made an appearance in the hallway, hearing moaning coming from Sheldon and Amy's room.

"Oh good God." Leonard groaned.

He looked over at Scooby's basket, where the dog was covering his eyes with his paw.

"I know how you feel, boy." Leonard said, and the dog uncovered his eyes, looking at Leonard, who was opening the dog cookie jar. "Here, I know you've had breakfast, but here's a treat. I'm sorry it didn't have Xanax in it."

Scooby gently took the treat and gobbled it up.

..

At lunchtime, none of the guys had seen Sheldon all day, until he approached the table with his tray, looking exhausted and with mussed-up hair, clearly only just arriving at work.

Leonard bit back a grin. "Mornin' partner!" He teased.

Sheldon glared at him. "You heard?"

"Wow…Amy annihilated you, huh?" Howard grinned impishly, eyeing Sheldon's hair and his messed-up clothes.

"My pregnant wife's sex drive is higher than the proton count in a Ununoctium atom." Sheldon sighed.

"I heard her shout 'hi-ho Silver' earlier!" Leonard chuckled.

Howard and Raj laughed.

"Nice! She went all cowgirl on you, huh?" Howard teased. "Being from Texas, that must have been a real treat for you!"

"Oh Sheldon, go like the wind!" Raj piped up.

"Head 'em up, ride 'em in Rawhide!" Howard chipped in.

"Oh Sheldon, it's okay…All cowboys quick draw!" Raj said, sending himself, Howard and Leonard into fits of laughter.

"Yee-haw Sheldon!" Howard threw in, which just made everyone laugh harder.

Sheldon felt anger bubbling up inside him.

"Alright, that is enough!" He boomed, stunning the entire cafeteria into silence. "What Amy and I do in our private time is nothing to do with you, and if you _do_ happen to overhear, at least have the courtesy to keep it to yourself! Now, you have the options to either apologise or never, ever be allowed to use my new Xbox One console. Your choice."

Leonard, Howard and Raj all exchanged a look.

"Sorry Sheldon." They muttered, embarrassed.

He cast one more glare at them, before gathering his food and leaving the cafeteria to head to his office.

The cafeteria began to quietly buzz with voices again.

"Wow…" Leonard blinked. "He's definitely ready to be a dad!"

..

Sheldon reached his office and placed his lunch on his desk, before closing the door behind him and sinking to the floor with his back against it, and head in his hands.

He heard a knock on the door, and sighed before getting to his feet again.

"Hello Dr Cooper." President Siebert greeted. "We didn't see you this morning; where were you?"

Sheldon panicked.

"I'm sorry sir, it won't happen again. I…"

"No, I just wondered if everything was okay? You're never late for work, or at least not without a call. You aren't in trouble or anything…I know your wife is expecting, and I wanted to know if everything was okay after you showed up late." Siebert asked.

"Yes, everything is fine." Sheldon nodded. "I just…Got caught up."

"Ah, I see." Siebert winked, "Hormones and sex drive, huh? There's no escaping that one!"

"No sir, there isn't…"

"Don't worry. I totally understand." Siebert held his hands up. "Next time, give me a call if you're going to be late. Let's call it…Pregnant Wife Duties."

"Alright. Thank you President Siebert, and again, I'm sorry I was late."

"No problem. See you later Cooper."

"Goodbye sir."

Sheldon closed the door and took a deep breath.

Alex was out on an errand for him and wouldn't be back for a long time, so he sat in his desk chair with his hands covering his face.

As he uncovered them, he caught sight of himself in his switched-off computer monitor.

"Oh dear God." He muttered, opening his drawer and taking out a comb, combing his hair back into place and rearranging his clothes, before spraying himself with some more emergency deodorant he kept in his desk.

His message tone went off, and Sheldon rummaged in his pocket for his phone.

He had a new message from Amy.

"_Sheldon, the babies are moving! I can feel them! :-) xxxxxxxx"_

Sheldon smiled to himself.

Amy was now 16 weeks pregnant, and couldn't wait to feel the babies move later. He fired off a reply.

"_That's incredible! What does it feel like? xxxxxxxxxxx"_

Within a minute, Amy had replied.

"_Like popcorn popping I guess? It feels so weird, but I can sort of feel it from the outside too. You'll have to feel later. Thank you for this morning, it was amazing. Hope I wasn't too over the top! Xxxxxxxxx"_

Sheldon pursed his lips.

This morning had been amazing for him too, but it had worn him out.

That and Leonard had heard and told their friends, who had ended up teasing him over lunch.

Of course, that had annoyed him, and he decided that he would get Leonard back for that, regardless.

Sheldon tapped out another reply to Amy;

"_Fascinating! I look forward to experiencing that with you. You're welcome, and thank __you__! It really was amazing. But now I am exhausted and Leonard heard us having coitus and has told Wolowitz and Koothrappali what he heard, so they decided to tease me at lunch. Some sort of revenge is in order! Xxxxxxxxx"_

Sheldon switched on his computer, ready to do at least a little work before home time, when he received another text from Amy.

"_Oh God, I'm so sorry! :-( I agree with the whole revenge thing! By the way…I have something to cheer you up. Wait there. Xxxxxxxx"_

Sheldon frowned. "Wait here? Where else would I go?" He muttered to himself, confused.

Within seconds he had received another text from Amy.

It was a picture message.

Opening it up, there was a photo of Amy at work in her Fitzpatrick Marine Biology Facility lab coat, grinning widely with a hand on her bump, captioned: 'Cheer up, sunshine! Love from me and the babies – Amy. xxxxxxxxxx'

Sheldon grinned.

She looked beautiful in that picture.

Obviously she must have just taken it at work, where she had recently had to reduce her hours to part time because of the pregnancy.

And today was her afternoon to work.

Sheldon Bluetoothed the photo to his computer and printed it off before pinning it to his Bulletin board, right behind his desk.

He grinned proudly, before picking up his phone again and snapping a photo, sending it to Amy;

"_Beautiful. You three are now on my bulletin board! :-) I love you xxxxxxxxx"_

Feeling calm once again after the incident in the cafeteria, Sheldon finally tucked into his lunch and got on with his work.

..

Arriving home that afternoon, Sheldon found Amy still in her work uniform, sat on the middle seat of the couch.

"Hello, stud!" Amy beamed.

"Hello vixen." Sheldon replied, dropping a kiss on her lips before taking a seat in his spot. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm really good, thank you. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine thanks. Just tired." Sheldon replied.

"Here, feel my stomach." Amy said, turning to face Sheldon. "They're really active already!"

Sheldon placed a hand either side of Amy's growing bump, and waited.

Underneath his hands, he felt what he could only describe as butterfly-like movements.

So subtle, yet so powerful at the same time.

"Wow…" He smiled.

"You can feel them?" Amy questioned.

"Yes. Both of them…It feels so strange!"

Amy grinned, and Sheldon marvelled over her for a moment.

Since being pregnant, Amy was literally glowing.

Her skin was clear and radiant, her hair and eyes shone even through her tiredness, and she felt and looked healthy.

Amy caught him staring. "What?"

"Nothing. You just look beautiful." He replied, softly.

"Be careful Sheldon; people might think you're turning human!" Amy teased.

"Then they'd be wrong." He replied, "You and I both know we're something better. We are Homo Novus, and so are our unborn children."

"What if one of our children wasn't?" Amy asked, biting her lip. "What if one of them got bad grades or had a learning difficulty or a disability?"

Sheldon frowned. "So what?"

"You really wouldn't care?" Amy was shocked. "Sheldon; you have only ever wanted genius offspring. Why would you change your mind all of a sudden?"

"I do want genius offspring, but I would still love them if they weren't!" He replied honestly. "I've grown to love them already anyway. I mean look at Scooby; I used to be afraid of dogs but I grew to love Scooby, now he's part of the family. And you…I vowed to never, ever let a woman come between me and my life's work, but then I met you and you changed me. I grew to love you _very_ quickly, and now I can't imagine life without you… or Scooby or the babies."

"Aww!" Amy smiled, throwing her arms around his neck.

When they broke apart, they kissed briefly, before Sheldon dropped a kiss on Amy's baby bump.

"I've always wanted to do that!" He smiled. "Oh, by the way…We should probably tell our parents."

At hearing that, Amy's eyes widened and she swallowed hard.

"Sure…"

_Oh dear God, my mom will murder me!_

_.._


	53. Chapter 53

**A/N: Prepare for more fluffiness. Lots of it!**

**..**

There had never been a more uncomfortable silence as Amy drove back to hers and Sheldon's apartment after picking up her mother.

Sheldon's mother was already at the apartment with him and the gang.

As they pulled into the parking space outside the apartment block and entered the building, Mrs Fowler cleared her throat.

"You look beautiful Amy."

Amy smiled, having never heard her mother be so nice about her before.

"Thank you." She replied, leading her up the stairs.

Amy was thankful for the baggy sweater and jacket she was wearing, that concealed her bump.

Sheldon and Amy had arranged for both of their parents to stay for the weekend, but hadn't told them the news yet.

That was going to be a surprise!

Taking a deep breath, Amy opened the door to 4A and let her mother in.

Sheldon stood up, nervously.

"Hello, Mrs Fowler." He greeted.

"Sheldon, lovely to meet you in person at last. Amy tells me you secretly married in Florida?" She smiled politely.

"We did…But we want to hold a proper ceremony for our friends and family, after the…Ow!" Sheldon was cut off by Amy digging him in the ribs.

"Amy! Don't elbow Sheldon in the ribs, he was talking! Sorry, carry on Sheldon…" Mrs Fowler said.

"Uh, I was just saying that we will be holding a proper ceremony soon." He looked to Amy for confirmation.

She nodded.

"Hi there, you must be Amy's mom. I'm Mary Cooper, Sheldon's mother." Mary stood up and shook hands politely with Mrs Fowler.

"Hello Mrs Cooper. Nice to meet you." Mrs Fowler replied.

"Nice to meet you too." Mary smiled.

"Is that…Are you Southern?" Mrs Fowler inquired, as Leonard stood up and gave up his seat for Amy's mother.

"Yes, I'm from Galveston, Texas. That's also where Shelly and his brother and sister were born." Mary looked up at her son.

"I worked in Texas once, not too far from Houston." Mrs Fowler said, and the two women were soon deep in conversation.

Sheldon inched closer to Amy.

"They seem to have hit it off. When should we tell them?" He whispered.

"Now?" Amy suggested.

Sheldon nodded. "Alright. How do you feel?"

"Terrified that my mother will kill me…Or castrate you. Or both. She's very overprotective." Amy whispered.

Sheldon swallowed. "Oh…Wonderful."

"It's now or never." Amy cleared her throat. "Um Mom, Mrs Cooper…The reason Sheldon and I brought you here is because we have some news…"

Both mothers looked up expectantly.

Amy shyly removed her jacket, and where her sweater had moved, her bump was visible.

Mrs Fowler's eyes widened "Amy…Is that…?"

"Yes mother. I'm pregnant."

Sheldon protectively moved even closer to Amy as their mothers stood up in shock, and wandered over.

"Amy, how far along _are _you?!" Mrs Fowler asked. "You waited this long to tell me?"

"No, I'm actually only four and a half months. We're expecting twins." Amy said.

"Oh!" Mary Cooper threw her arms around Amy and Sheldon. "Congratulations, kids!"

"The reason we didn't tell you sooner is because Amy fell pregnant out in Florida, and miscarried. We didn't want to jinx it the second time, but everything is healthy. She's 18 weeks and they're moving around now." Sheldon explained.

"Oh I see…" Mrs Fowler nodded. "And you promise that you'll take care of my little girl?" She said to Sheldon.

"Of course, Mrs Fowler. I love Amy more than anything, and being raised by a born-again Christian mother out in Texas, I was brought up to respect women." Sheldon responded. "In fact Amy is the only woman I've ever loved, and ever will. Unless we have a daughter, or two daughters."

Mrs Fowler smiled. "Aw, that is _so_ sweet. Congratulations both of you."

She extended her arms to hug her daughter, and then Sheldon, who uncomfortably accepted.

As Amy's mom turned around to wipe her eyes, Amy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Shelly, I never for one second thought you would produce my first grandchild…Naturally anyway…It _was _natural, wasn't it?" Mary Cooper asked.

"Yes mother. Conceived by unprotected intercourse." He confirmed.

"Lovely." She frowned. "Anyway…I didn't think you would ever give me a grandchild, and now you've given me two! My first two, come to that!"

Sheldon smiled proudly. "Yes, well…we're very excited."

"And so you should be. Thank God for blessing you with twins." Mary smiled.

Sheldon frowned slightly.

_Oh no, she's asking me to thank God. I'd better humor her just this once to keep the peace…_

"Yes. Thank…uh, God." He swallowed.

Mary beamed. "I'm so proud of you Shelly bean!" She kissed him on the cheek, before moving over to Amy. "And congratulations to you sweetheart, you've been a Godsend to my Sheldon. Thank you, and you look radiant for four months pregnant."

"Wow, thank you Mrs Cooper!" Amy replied.

"Call me Mary, darlin', you're family now. Why don't all of us go to dinner tonight?" Mary suggested.

"When you say 'all of us', do you mean literally all of us, or you four?" Penny chirped.

"I meant a table for 9, so literally all of us." Mary answered.

"That sounds great!" Leonard grinned, and the rest of the gang nodded in agreement.

"Sounds lovely." Mrs Fowler smiled.

"Technically it would be a table for 11." Sheldon corrected, placing a hand on Amy's bump.

Mary smiled at the change in her son; admittedly her golden child.

She really did thank the Lord for Amy coming into Sheldon's life.

He had needed her.

Next to her, Amy's mother was silently thanking her lucky stars for Sheldon entering Amy's life.

Her daughter had always been a loner, and when her father had died when she was young, Mrs Fowler had become very overprotective of Amy.

At first, she had been shocked that Amy was pregnant, and had almost been upset, until she saw how happy and comfortable Amy was here, and could literally feel and see the love that she and Sheldon had for one another.

In that split second, Mrs Fowler had taken a deep breath and let go.

It was time for Amy to grow up and live a happy life after everything she had been through, and she really was happy now.

"I want to thank you Sheldon for all that you've done for Amy." She said aloud. "Amy had a tough childhood, and I'm so glad she found a nice group of friends and a man who loves her for her and is willing to give her everything she ever wanted."

Sheldon smiled.

He thought back to how that very statement would have been almost untrue until just under a year ago.

But so much had changed in nine and a half months.

Now he was married, soon to be a father, and madly in love with a woman who was so like him and so perfect for him.

"I'm not finished taking care of her yet, Mrs Fowler. We have the rest of our lives left." He answered.

..

That night, dinner with the gang had gone really well, and the two mothers had promised to keep in touch with each other, as Mary returned to the hotel where she was staying until her flight home in the morning, and Amy's mother returned home.

Sheldon closed the door and locked it, ready for bed.

"I'm off to bed, guys." Leonard announced. "Thanks for a great evening; see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Leonard." Sheldon replied.

Amy said nothing, so Sheldon looked to the couch and found that Amy had drifted off to sleep at an awkward angle.

He wordlessly grabbed a blanket from the cupboard, and draped it over the both of them as he sat down, resting Amy's head on his legs.

He grabbed a cushion and placed it under her head as an afterthought.

Amy moaned softly in her sleep, and licked her lips, smiling to herself.

_What is she dreaming about? _Sheldon wondered.

Almost instantly, Amy moaned softly again. "Mm Sheldon, that feels nice." She said, dreamily.

His eyes shot open wide.

_Okay…She's dreaming about having coitus with me. Can I get in on this?_

He closed his eyes and tried to imagine really hard what Amy might be thinking, and then created his own scenario.

Unaware that he had also fallen asleep by now and was dreaming, his mind took him to the beach back in Florida…

_The beach was completely deserted apart from him and Amy, but the sun shone down on both of them._

_In the dream, Amy wasn't pregnant._

_In fact, in the dream, he and Amy both seemed significantly younger…Almost early twenties, maybe nineteen at a push._

_Dream Amy was sunbathing, and dream Sheldon was sitting next to her, applying copious amounts of sun lotion._

_Dream Amy turned over and grinned at Sheldon. "Thank you for being so nice to me Sheldon." She was saying. "You're the only person who accepts me for who I am."_

"_Of course I do," Dream Sheldon answered, "You're a remarkable girl, no matter what those idiots say!"_

"_I just wish I could be pretty." Dream Amy pulled a face._

"_But you are. To me anyway." Dream Sheldon replied, sitting up straight._

_He and Dream Amy stared at one another for a few moments, before leaning in for a kiss._

_It was shy and tender at first, but then they both got lost in the moment, their mouths open and exploring with their tongues._

_Within minutes, they were laying on Amy's towel on the sand, pawing at each other, desperate to take their clothes off._

_They began to have sex right there on the beach, with nobody around._

_It started out as clumsy and unsure, but turned into passion and something deeper._

_Amy was calling out Sheldon's name; both in the dream and in real life._

_Sheldon found himself doing the same, and before long, Dream Sheldon and Amy had climaxed together, releasing their bottled-up passion into each other, and lay breathing heavily on the sand._

_Dream Amy grabbed Dream Sheldon's hand, and he laced his fingers with hers._

"_We're meant to be together." Dream Amy was saying._

"_I know, I feel it too." Dream Sheldon replied. "Usually I wouldn't believe in something so far-fetched, but the evidence is conclusive. Amy, you and I are soulmates."_

Real-life Sheldon's eyes burst open, and he shot up.

He felt a wetness and looked down.

His pants were tented by his erection, which was currently pumping through the material of his underwear and his pants.

"No, no, no!" He panicked, standing up instantly, pulling off his slacks, which were now covered in a sticky white substance.

His sudden movement woke Amy up, and she had to do a double-take as she saw her husband all but stripping in front of her.

"This is the best sight I have ever woken up to!" She commented, grinning appreciatively.

Sheldon whirled around in shock, covering himself.

"Amy!…I just…"

"I had a dream about you." Amy grinned sleepily. "We were back in Florida, but we were younger. We were making out on the beach and then we had sex…You said we were soulmates."

Sheldon swallowed.

_So we had the exact same dream!_

"I had the same dream as you." He admitted.

Amy blinked. "Really? That is so weird!"

Sheldon nodded. "You were saying my name in your sleep, so I fell asleep to see if I would be able to have the same dream as you, and I did. I don't know how that even happened, but it did. And now I seem to have…Uh…"

"Wet dream?" Amy asked.

"Yes."

She nodded. "I'm not surprised. We have great dream-sex, don't we?"

"Uh huh. We have great real life sex too! Amy…I really need to clean up." Sheldon said desperately.

Amy nodded, and let Sheldon race into the bathroom.

..

As he stood under the spray of the shower, willing his erection to go down, he couldn't help but think back to the dream.

_I don't believe in soulmates…But maybe there is some logic behind it?_

_I wasn't looking for anyone, but I found her anyway. Well, Koothrappali and Wolowitz found her...Maybe they knew? Maybe they were part of the plan without even realizing it?_

As he washed himself, Sheldon found that he didn't even care _how_ it had happened.

He had Amy now; they were married, in love and about to have children, and that was what mattered.

But maybe they _were_ supposed to meet?

Maybe he _was _supposed to go after her to Florida to declare his feelings, and finally realize that Amy was _supposed_ to change him?

And maybe being married and becoming a father was who he really was?

He had been raised in a big family anyway and was always surrounded by people, but he had still felt alone and outcast from a young age for being different.

Just like Amy had...

At first, he had hated it, and had hated being alone, but then he had focused on science, and had fallen in love with it so much so, that he had pushed all other things to the back of his mind. He had fallen in love with his work.

But not like he had with Amy…

Science had kept him busy and occupied, yes. But not cured the loneliness that had turned him into the closed-off and self-centred man he had become until Amy had come along and slowly turned him around.

Everything he used to be had changed because of the very woman who sat in his front room, bearing his offspring and loving him unconditionally, no matter how he had acted with her.

He no longer felt lonely.

He no longer felt that science was the only thing keeping him busy and keeping him going.

He no longer felt unhappy or unsatisfied, needing closure on everything, and needing to plan every area of his life to make him happy.

"Because of Amy." He whispered to himself.

He turned off the water then, and wrapped a towel around himself, before stepping out of the shower and walking into the living room.

Amy had now stood up, and was folding up the blanket, when she saw Sheldon enter the room.

She smiled. "Are you okay now?"

He stared at her. "I've been okay ever since I met you." He replied, expressionless.

Amy frowned. "What do you mean?"

Sheldon leaned down to kiss her lovingly, placing a hand either side of her stomach.

"After some consideration…I have come to realize that the dream held some significance. I truly believe I was supposed to meet you, and you were supposed to change me…We were supposed to get married and have a family." He replied.

"What are you saying?" Amy asked softly.

"I'm saying that you, Amy Cooper, _are _my soulmate."

She blinked. "Y-you don't believe in soulmates."

"Correction; I _didn't _believe in them until you." He replied. "What your mother said earlier about you having a terrible time when you were younger, and that meeting me made you happy. Well, that got me thinking, and then the dream we had, and everything we've gone through together, it just…Made sense."

Amy cocked her head to one side. "Sheldon Cooper, are you saying that you believe in fate?"

He raised his eyebrows and sighed reluctantly "I suppose I must do…But don't tell Penny this, she'll never let me hear the end of it."

Amy laughed. "You got it."

..


	54. Chapter 54

**A/N: I literally couldn't stop laughing when I wrote this chapter. Ridiculous, seeing as it's my own writing. I have such an immature mind LOL! Smut warning…As Sheldon says: "Revenge is a dish best served nude!" ;) **

**..**

Amy and Sheldon were lying on the couch, post-coital and happy, covered in the blanket.

"Wow!" Amy breathed. "That tops our first time!"

"Really? I thought our best coital session was before we found out you were pregnant, and we tried loads of different things." Sheldon said.

"Never thought I would hear you say that you enjoy trying something new!" Amy joked. "Hey, I think I know how to get revenge on the guys for teasing you!"

Sheldon was alert. "I'm listening."

Amy turned over to face Sheldon, exposing her bare chest.

Sheldon noted that her breasts had grown a lot since she had been pregnant.

"Sheldon, I'm up here!" Amy's voice cut through his thoughts. "You can look at them anytime."

"Sorry." He blushed.

"Anyway, I think that we should _really _disturb them! They thought our roleplay was bad? They haven't seen – well, heard – anything yet!" Amy grinned devilishly. "They're all coming over tomorrow to play Halo, right?"

"Right."

"So I'll feign distress, and you'll come to check on me, and then…We have the craziest, wildest and freakiest sex we've ever had! Not only will we enjoy it and it will top the list as our best sexual session ever, but it will disturb them so much that they will never want to speak of our sex life again! What do you say?"

Sheldon stared at Amy and blinked.

"Amy, I think that's evil." He said, and Amy's face fell.

"Let's do it!" He grinned.

And at that, Amy's impish smile returned to her face. "Brilliant. It has to be said that I am an evil genius!"

"And you are a vixen!" Sheldon added, cuddling her closer.

..

"Howard, could you please pass the Soy sauce?" Sheldon asked.

The guys were gathered at Sheldon, Amy and Leonard's apartment the next evening, enjoying take-out food and playing Halo.

Amy had excused herself, saying that she needed to change into something comfy before she ate.

As she left the room, she caught Sheldon's eye and winked at him.

He winked back and bit back a grin as he applied some Soy sauce to his food.

"So…Silver, how's the Lone Ranger?" Howard asked, nudging Sheldon.

"I'm sorry; I don't know who you're talking about." Sheldon replied calmly.

Sheldon hadn't touched his food yet, but he had been stirring it round the container with his fork.

"Are you going to eat that or are you happy just pleasuring it?" Raj asked, sending Howard and Leonard into childish giggles.

Sheldon said nothing, but smiled smugly at the thought of his friends getting their just desserts.

"Sheldon! I need help!" Amy called out.

_Bingo!_

"I'll be right there!" He shouted back, abandoning his food.

He hurried to the bedroom, and was met by Amy behind the door, who pulled him into a heated kiss in the darkness.

Sheldon closed the door, and the two of them started to undress each other.

"What are we going for?" He asked.

"Well, I was thinking this, going into this and finishing with this." Amy replied, pointing to images in her magazine.

Sheldon raised his eyebrows. "Uh, that last one…I'm not sure I can do that."

"Yes you can." Amy replied, "Maybe we should start off with something…"

"Like what?" Sheldon asked, settling under the covers.

Amy leaned down and took him in her mouth, surprising him.

"Amy…I'm not sure you should be doing that!" He hissed, "It's unhygienic for you."

She ignored him, and continued to move up and down his length, flicking her tongue against the end.

"Oh God…" He whispered. "Stop. We agreed to have intercourse."

"We will once you make some noise so they can hear you." Amy replied, stopping momentarily.

"Um…okay." He thought for a moment, before deciding upon: "Oh yes Amy, take it all!"

Amy giggled and stopped what she was doing.

She grabbed the bottle of water off the bedside table, and swilled some water round her mouth, before depositing her mouthful into the trashcan.

She positioned herself on top of Sheldon's lap as he sat up, and let him slip inside her, as they sat straight and ground against each other, moaning loudly.

..

In the living room, the guys had heard, and sat still, too shocked to move.

Raj had his fork halfway up to his mouth, but abruptly dropped it back into the container before placing the container on the table

Leonard covered his face with his hand. "Oh dear God…" He muttered.

..

Back in the bedroom, Sheldon and Amy had changed positions, so now he had entered her from behind.

"Oh yeah, big boy! I want all of you inside me!" Amy shouted out.

"Oh Yeah, this is how you like it!" Sheldon replied just as loudly, spanking her loudly on the butt.

"Last one." Amy said, as she rolled over onto her back, resting her legs on Sheldon's shoulders, as he entered her and leaned back slightly, thrusting in and out.

Amy loved how deep he was going, and moaned loudly, feeling orgasm wash over her.

"Sheldon, don't stop. Go faster! I'm so close." She cried out.

"Hold on tight, I'm going to give it to you good!" He replied, increasing his speed.

Amy orgasmed loudly, followed shortly by Sheldon.

"Oh God Sheldon!"

"Oh Amy!"

They both slowed down and regained their breath, laughing quietly.

"Wait…I have an idea." Amy giggled, grabbing a bottle of hand cream and squeezing some onto the bed sheets.

"Amy!" Sheldon hissed, as she rubbed the sheet together to make it more believable.

Sheldon started laughing under his breath as he put his underwear back on and covered himself with a bathrobe.

Amy put her own underwear and bathrobe on.

"Amy we can't go out there yet." Sheldon whispered.

"Why not?"

"We probably look messy and smell like…What we just did…"

"Good. Out you go!" Amy replied shoving him forward, and Sheldon opened the door reluctantly, as Amy ripped the bedsheet off and took it with them.

Appearing in the hallway, the couple couldn't help but smirk at the expression on the guys' faces.

"Sorry, Amy needed my help." Sheldon said, breathlessly. "Where were we?"

The guys all looked up at them, wordlessly and eyes wide in shock.

"We have to do laundry." Raj said, as he grabbed Howard by the arm and the two of them ran out of the door.

"I…have to kill myself." Leonard added, racing after Raj and Howard.

"Wait! If you three are doing laundry, could you take this sheet down for us?" Sheldon asked innocently.

Leonard turned around and spotted the hand cream stain.

He grimaced. "Oh God!" He said, and sprinted down the stairs.

Amy and Sheldon exchanged smirks and burst out laughing.

"I don't think they will ever comment on our sex life again!" Amy laughed.

Sheldon put his arms around Amy's shoulders and leaned down to talk to the bump.

"Lesson one, children: creeping people out gets them off your back."

"You are a bad influence!" Amy chuckled, stroking her stomach as she and Sheldon closed the door.

..

The next day at work, Sheldon sat at the table with his friends in the cafeteria.

"Gentlemen." He greeted, anticipating if they would say anything.

They all exchanged awkward glances.

"Good afternoon Sheldon." Howard greeted.

"Did you all sleep well last night?" Sheldon asked.

"I dreamt that I was in hell." Leonard replied. "And by 'hell' I mean you and Amy having loud sex."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Sheldon answered, innocently.

"Are you kidding me?" Howard chipped in. "You guys were so loud! I've never heard a woman make that much noise before."

"I'm sure you haven't." Sheldon replied, making Leonard and Raj laugh.

"Who knew that Sheldon was the dark horse of the four of us?" Raj said.

"He's the only one of us who can actually please a woman sexually." Leonard frowned.

At that moment, Kripke walked past.

"Hewwo wosers. What's up Coopew? How's your wady doing?" He asked.

"Hello Kripke. She's pregnant." Sheldon replied.

"Ow man I'm so sowwy."

Sheldon frowned. "We planned them."

"Ow then congwatuwations. I bet youw mothew isn't pweased that you'we having kids unmawwied?"

"We _are_ married. We married in Florida; a private ceremony. We're having a real ceremony once the twin are born; you're welcome to come."

"Wiww thewe be women?"

"Uh…Yes?"

"Sweet…I wook fowawd to it. Thanks fow the invite. You stiww giving it to hew good?"

"Of course." Sheldon replied, looking to his friends, who shuddered.

"You should have heard them last night." Raj croaked, grimacing.

"Haha! Nice one, Coopew! Keep hew cwying out youw name! I nevew thought you'd be that good in the sack!" Kripke grinned, clapping Sheldon on the shoulder.

"Yes, well…I excel at so many things. Why should intercourse be any different?"

Kripke walked off, grinning widely.

Sheldon noticed his friends staring at him.

"What the hell was that?" Howard asked.

"What the hell was what?" Sheldon frowned.

"You're friends with Kripke now?"

"Yes, well we have a lot in common…"

"Like what?"

"Like physics, and the fact that we actually enjoy pleasing our women in bed, unlike you three." Sheldon let his words sink in, before he leaned forward. "Now, you three won't make jokes about mine and Amy's sex life again will you? Unless you enjoyed last night's performance so much that you'd like an encore?"

"Noooo way!" The three of them protested

"I'm glad we agree." Sheldon replied, standing up and taking his food off the tray to take back to his office. "Goodbye. I'll see you later."

Leonard, Howard and Raj all exchanged a glance.

"How does he make Amy orgasm so loud?" Howard frowned. "Do you think he'll tell me?"

Leonard frowned at him. "Just keep doing what you're doing, Howard." He said, sarcastically.

..


	55. Chapter 55

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! That was seriously the hardest chapter I've ever written; it was just so awkward lol! But the fact you all liked it made my day, and it made me laugh reading the reviews. Thanks again, you lot are the best!**

**..**

Two more weeks had passed, and today was the day when Amy was going to find out whether the twins were boys, girls or one of each.

She patiently waited for Sheldon to meet her at home before they travelled to the doctors together.

He turned up six minutes early as they waited for the cab.

Amy's baby bump had gotten so big now that Sheldon hadn't wanted her to drive for safety reasons, and she had been more than happy to agree.

Being 20 weeks pregnant with twins was putting strain on Amy's back and legs, so she was resting a lot of the time, which also meant early maternity leave.

"Ugh…I wish I could just go to sleep and then wake up when they're born." She complained, rubbing her swollen stomach.

"You're halfway there." Sheldon replied, kissing her cheek. "Another 20 weeks and they'll be here."

"Actually it will be less than that," Amy replied. "Twins are usually born earlier than one baby would be."

"Oh." Sheldon suddenly felt nervous. "You don't mean like this soon, do you?"

"Oh no way!" Amy shook her head. "Maybe 35 weeks; something like that. But no matter how early they're born, do you realize that when I'm seven and a half months pregnant, it will be our one year wedding anniversary, and I won't even be able to celebrate!"

Sheldon frowned.

"I thought we would just celebrate by ourselves, with some take out, maybe share a bubble bath together if you'd like that…"

Amy blinked at him. "Really?"

"Well, if you would like to."

"Honestly Sheldon, I'd love for that to be a normal day with you. But our first anniversary should be a big deal." Amy looked sad. "Stupid pregnancy!"

Sheldon had an idea, instantly.

He considered sharing his idea with Amy but decided not to.

At that moment, Amy received a text.

"The cab's here."

She gathered up her bag and jacket, as she and Sheldon left the building.

..

"So what are you hoping for?" Dr Farrow asked, squeezing the gel onto Amy's abdomen.

"Just two healthy babies." Sheldon said. "Gender is irrelevant."

"Yeah, we haven't spoken about it." Amy replied, "We never even thought about whether we wanted a boy or girl. It never crossed our minds, to be honest."

Dr Farrow smiled. "You two are going to be fantastic parents. I can tell already."

Amy and Sheldon grinned at each other as they waited.

"There's the first baby." Dr Farrow announced, rolling the wand over one side.

The sound of two heartbeats echoed through the room, as the image of the first twin filled the screen.

Dr Farrow took some screen grabs on the monitor.

The baby was very active, responding to the vibrations coming from the wand over Amy's stomach.

"Do you want to find out the sex of the babies today?" Dr Farrow asked.

Amy looked at Sheldon.

He pushed his lips to the side, and wrinkled his nose. "It would help for buying clothes and baby stuff..." He said, eventually.

Amy nodded. "Yeah that's true. We'd like to know." She agreed.

"Okay…Well this one is a girl." Dr Farrow announced.

She moved the wand to the other side, where the second baby was blowing bubbles.

Sheldon was watching the monitor and laughed. "We have a joker here!"

Dr Farrow laughed and replied; "We see a lot of cheeky babies blowing bubbles in utero. It's not uncommon."

"Ah, a cheeky little fox. Like mother like child." Sheldon smiled.

"Hey! At least it's breathing." Amy added, chuckling.

She lightly patted her bump, and baby number two moved in response.

Dr Farrow laughed. "You have a couple of smarty-pants in there!"

"So what's the sex of this baby?" Sheldon asked.

"I don't know, it won't move its legs." Dr Farrow replied. "Tap again, Amy. See if it responds."

Amy tapped lightly on the side of her stomach, and the baby responded.

"Got it!" Dr Farrow replied. "Ready?"

"Ready." Sheldon and Amy replied.

"Two girls." Dr Farrow announced as she printed out the scan photos. "Congratulations!"

"Aww!" Amy squealed excitedly.

"I'm outnumbered!" Sheldon grinned.

"Is that a problem?" Amy giggled, "It's a little late to exchange one! I'm past the thirty-day guarantee."

Sheldon laughed. "Not a problem at all. That just means you aren't the only woman in my life anymore."

"Surprisingly, I'm okay with that." Amy replied as she sat up and kissed him lovingly on the lips, as they both placed their hands on her stomach.

..

That evening, Penny and Bernadette met with Amy at Penny's apartment for a Girls' Night.

"I'd like to raise a toast to Amy, and of course Sheldon, to congratulate them on expecting twin girls!" Penny grinned, as she held up her glass. "Two cute, tiny new additions to Girls' Night!"

"To Amy and Sheldon!" Bernadette repeated, as the three women clinked their glasses.

As soon as Amy had told her friends the news, they had squealed excitedly and arranged a special pink themed Girls' Night.

There were pink balloons, mostly pink snacks, and Penny had even bought some Pink Lemonade for all of them, and hidden away all the alcohol in her apartment.

"If Amy can't drink, then neither can we." She had said, as she poured the pink lemonade into the glasses earlier that evening.

"Thank you Penny." Amy smiled, "This is so cool! What should we do?"

"I think we should play Truth or Dare!" Bernadette grinned. "Amy gets to answer first because it's her night…So Amy, truth or dare?"

"Truth." Amy answered.

"Okay, I have one for ya!" Penny said, "How big is Sheldon?"

Amy frowned. "Uh he's 6ft 2…"

"No we already know that. We mean…You know…How _big _is his…"

"Oh!" Amy's eyes flew wide. "I'm not telling you that! He would kill me."

"You have to tell." Bernadette laughed. "It's the rules!"

Amy shifted uncomfortably. "Can I use a visual aid?"

"You're not gonna get him to drop his pants are you?" Penny frowned.

"No way! That's for my eyes, and my eyes only! No… you know what they say about hands?" Amy asked.

"Yeah…"

Amy held one hand up, and made an 'L' shape with it. "Distance from his thumb to the top of his index finger."

She put her hand down and whipped out her phone, sending a text.

"You'll see what I mean." She said, as she placed he phone back down.

The girls frowned, but then they heard the door over the hall open, before Sheldon's signature knock sounded at Penny's door.

Penny stood to answer it.

"Hi Penny, hi Bernadette... Amy, here are the chips you asked me to bring over." Sheldon said, stepping in. "Do you need anything else?"

"Actually, yes. Could you make the loser sign at these two?" Amy asked.

Sheldon frowned. "Why?"

"Because they lost at a game we were playing." Amy lied, smoothly.

"Oh…Sure."

He obliged, and the girl's mouths fell wide open.

Amy grinned smugly, as Sheldon dropped a kiss on her lips. "Love you Amy, see you later. Bye losers!"

And with that, he had exited Penny's apartment and gone back to 4A.

"Holy crap!" Penny commented. "No wonder he's the horse in your roleplay!"

Amy raised her eyebrows and winked. "So…Who's next?"

..

Over the hall, Sheldon had sat back down in his spot, as Howard pulled out his phone and played the whip sound app on his phone.

Raj and Leonard giggled.

"Grow up, Wolowitz." Sheldon replied, tiredly.

"She text you just to ask you to take some chips over the hall for her, and you did. You know the drill." Howard replied.

"So if Bernadette was pregnant, you wouldn't cater to her needs?" Sheldon asked.

"Yeah Howard. _Wouldn't_ you?" Leonard asked, suddenly changing sides.

"Well, yes, but…"

At that, Leonard played the whip sound on his own phone, making Raj and Sheldon laugh this time.

Howard just glared.

"So, I bet you're excited, huh Sheldon?" Raj asked. "Having two baby girls; that's two more women that will have you wrapped around their fingers."

"He _could_ look at it that way," Leonard nodded, "Or he could look at it as two more women that won't sleep with you."

Sheldon glared at Leonard, as Howard was sent into hysterics.

"Those are my daughters you're talking about." Sheldon warned.

"Yeah Leonard!" Raj retorted, "And just for the record, they would love to sleep with me; I'm like a forbidden piece of foreign fruit."

Sheldon cast his glare to Raj now. "I am warning you all. If one more sexual remark is made about my unborn daughters, I won't hesitate to hurt you."

"Oooh!" Raj and Howard mocked.

Leonard remained silent, knowing fully well what would happen.

"Well I guess they could look up to Raj as another daddy figure…A _sugar daddy!_" Howard joked.

"Don't you mean a _brown sugar_ daddy?" Raj corrected.

They both laughed out loud, missing Sheldon's angered expression.

"You're going to pay for that…"

..

"Okay, Penny chose dare…" Bernadette said, as she and Amy leaned forward. "Penny, I dare you to…"

Bernadette was cut off by yelling from across the hall.

The girls all frowned at each other.

"What in the world?" Amy said, as they all stood up and made their way across the hall.

Opening the door, Amy squealed and recoiled, almost falling over.

Penny caught her and steadied her, as they watched Sheldon, Howard and Raj all rolling on the floor, swiping at each other.

At long last, Sheldon had managed to pin them both down.

Leonard was still sat in his chair, acting like nothing was happening.

He looked up.

"Oh, hi ladies." He raised his eyebrows. "To be fair, he did warn them to stop."

"Wait, what's going on?" Penny demanded.

"They made sexual remarks about mine and Amy's unborn babies. I told them to stop, and they didn't. So now they are facing the consequences." Sheldon explained, throwing his head back to avoid Howard's hand which was flying towards his face.

"Howard, what did you say about Sheldon and Amy's little girls?" Bernadette growled, folding her arms.

"Nothing." Howard croaked.

"Fine, I'll just leave you here so Sheldon can strangle you." Bernie shrugged, as she turned around.

"Okay, okay…I'll tell you." Howard said.

He told Bernadette what he and Raj had said, and the girls' eyes all flew wide.

"Howie! How could you!" Bernadette roared.

"Oh no they did _not_!" Amy added, angrily.

"Yeah Sheldon, you tear them apart!" Penny added.

"Howard, Raj…You can't go around saying things like that about people's children! How would you like it if someone said that about our children? If we ever have them, that is." Bernadette shook her head.

"I'd kill them." Howard replied.

Bernadette raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I'd hack their computer at least, and leave a very harmful virus." Howard corrected.

"Stop talking!" Sheldon snapped. "Which reminds me, Leonard. Don't sit there all smug; you made a remark too. Your turn will come when I'm done with these two!"

"Wait, _you _said something too?" Penny folded her arms.

"Yeah, but it wasn't to insult Sheldon or Amy or their babies; it was more of an insult to Raj. Either way Sheldon, I'm very sorry that I said it." Leonard said.

"Okay…You're forgiven." Sheldon sighed, as Raj and Howard tried to wriggle free.

Sheldon tightened his grip. "I don't think so. Remember how many times I've beaten you both at arm wrestling? I may not have much upper body strength compared to other men, but against you two, there's really no competition."

"Look, Sheldon. We're truly sorry about what we said. We'd never do anything inappropriate to your daughters." Howard said, eventually, and Sheldon reluctantly let them go.

"Right Raj?" Howard nudged his best friend as he dusted himself off.

"Of course." Raj nodded. "Not until they're like eighteen anyway."

"Oh, that is it!" Sheldon raged, as he chased Raj out of the apartment and down the flights of stairs.

Everyone gathered at the top of the stairs, and heard what sounded like Raj being tackled to the floor, and the two men rolling down the stairs, exchanging heated words.

Leonard finally waltzed over to join the rest of the group, shaking his head.

"So…Girl's Night going well?" He asked Penny, breaking the stunned silence.

"Yeah. We had some nice food, played truth or dare, saw some good entertainment…" Penny replied.

Leonard nodded.

"Amy I am so sorry about those two." Bernadette apologized.

"Don't worry," Amy shrugged, "It's kind of nice to see Sheldon defending his family."

At that moment, Sheldon emerged on the staircase, limping a little, with messed up hair and bruises.

Raj followed him, looking even worse, with a cut lip and a black eye.

"Say it." Sheldon said breathlessly, as he folded his arms, swaying a little.

"I'm sorry that I made inappropriate comments about your daughters. It was wrong of me and I would never lay a finger on them." Raj said.

"And…?"

Raj sighed. "And Sheldon Cooper is the alpha male, and I am his lowly minion."

Sheldon nodded, triumphantly as he stalked into the apartment before falling over and passing out, as Raj fainted next to him shortly after.

Leonard shook his head. "Unbelievable."

Amy raised her eyebrows. "And _that's_ the father of my children..."


	56. Chapter 56

Sheldon woke up to Scooby nudging Sheldon with his nose, and opened his eyes.

Amy was knelt on the floor, with Sheldon's head on her knees, cleaning up his wounds with some cotton wool and water.

He looked up, and was met with the view of Amy's baby bump right in front of him.

He rolled over and put his cheek on the bump, snuggling against it. "Daddy defended you, don't you worry." He murmured. "No friend of mine will lay a finger on you in that way."

Sheldon felt a strong movement from both sides of Amy's stomach, and jumped back.

"What was that?" He asked, steadying himself.

"They both just kicked me!" Amy grinned. "They like your voice!"

"Fascinating!" Sheldon said, moving closer. "So they respond to voice as well as touch?"

Amy nodded.

Sheldon also noticed that they were now alone in the apartment, with the door closed.

Only Leonard hovered in the kitchen, making a drink.

Sheldon leaned forwards again, and lightly stroked Amy's tummy with his finger.

"Girls, if you can hear me, kick mommy." He said.

Almost instantly, Amy felt two movements.

Amy got overwhelmed with emotion, "I've never felt them kick before." She said, as her eyes moistened.

Sheldon put an arm around her.

Scooby woofed and wagged his tail, nudging Amy's bump with his nose.

"The girls are going to love you, Scooby!" Amy said, stroking Scooby's ears as she regained her composure.

The little dog woofed again, his tongue hanging out.

Amy tried to stand up, and Sheldon helped her.

"Are you okay now?" She asked.

"I'm fine…Are you okay?" He replied.

Amy nodded. "Tired. I'm going to lie down for a while." She said, kissing him.

"Okay, do you need anything?"

Amy shook her head as she made her way to the bedroom.

Leonard beckoned Sheldon over.

"I need to talk to you." Leonard said.

"Alright." Sheldon replied.

"There's no easy way to say this, but uh…You and Amy need more room for the twins." Leonard said, awkwardly.

Sheldon frowned. "Wait…Are you saying we need to leave?" He asked, hurt.

"No. I'm saying that Penny has asked me to move in with her." Leonard replied. "I'll be moving out within the next week or so. But I'll still come over to hang out all the time. You, Amy and the babies are more important, and Penny was ready to take things to the next level."

Sheldon blinked. "Oh…Well, that's very thoughtful of you Leonard. Thank you, but I'll miss living with you."

"I'll only be across the hall. You and Amy need your own space for your little family." Leonard shrugged. "I'll still see you every day."

Sheldon nodded. "Actually…there's something that _I_ need to discuss with _you_."

"What's that?" Leonard asked.

Sheldon looked around then dropped his voice.

"Mine and Amy's first wedding anniversary is approaching, but she will be over seven months pregnant by then. I want to make it special for her, and I have some idea how, but I need your help to organize it…Would you be willing?"

"Of course." Leonard nodded, "What did you have in mind?"

Sheldon muttered his idea to Leonard as quietly as he could.

"That's a brilliant idea. Amy would love that!" Leonard replied. "Wow! Get you!"

"Well, I know it would mean a lot to Amy, and to me." Sheldon replied.

"I'll talk to the others." Leonard said.

"Oh wait, don't let them tell Amy _anything, _please!" Sheldon begged.

"I promise." Leonard nodded.

..

"Amy?"

Amy turned over to see her husband standing at the door. "Hey Sheldon." She smiled, tiredly. "Your bruises are looking painful. Come here so I can kiss them better."

He closed the door and sat on the bed next to Amy.

She leaned up to stroke his face, planting a kiss on each bruise.

Tingles ran through his face and his body at her touch.

He closed his eyes.

"Oh, the midwife is coming over tomorrow morning." Amy reminded.

Sheldon nodded. "Okay. Do you want me to be here?"

"Well…She wants to discuss birthing options after we've gone through the exercises and the check-ups, and she mentioned the possibility of a C-section." Amy whispered.

Sheldon opened his eyes and looked at Amy. "Is that something that scares you?"

Amy nodded.

"I'll call into the university and tell them I'll be running late. Siebert knows about everything now I've informed him; he'll understand." Sheldon said.

Amy smiled weakly. "Thank you."

..

Amy answered the door the next day, to reveal Julie, her midwife.

"Hey mama!" Julie grinned. "How are we feeling today?"

"Exhausted." Amy replied, "But they've been kicking me! It was actually down to Sheldon. He spoke to them, and they kicked."

"That's brilliant! They are developing quickly already! That's a good sign. How was the scan yesterday? Did you find out what you're having?"

"Two girls." Amy grinned.

"Aww, congratulations!" Julie smiled. "Poor Sheldon will be outnumbered."

"Yes he will!" Sheldon said as he walked through to the lounge. "Hello Julie. We haven't met yet; I'm Sheldon Cooper."

"Nice to meet you!" Julie replied, shaking his hand. "So, you're the daddy, huh?"

Sheldon nodded. "I'm the daddy." He confirmed.

"Well you've been brilliant from what Amy's been telling me!" Julie said.

Sheldon smiled proudly.

"Sheldon, I hate to ask but, um…Why do you have bruises on your face?" Julie asked.

"That would be from fighting with my friends." He replied.

Julie looked momentarily alarmed.

"Oh no, nothing like that. I never resort to violence, ever. It's just that these friends made crude remarks about my baby daughters. I warned them to stop and they didn't, so they faced the consequences!" He explained.

"Protecting the family? I like it!" Julie grinned.

"Sheldon's Texan." Amy announced proudly. "He's been brought up to protect his woman and protect his family. It's such a sexy quality to have."

"Hmm, I do like Southerners!" Julie replied with a sultry smile, "My husband is from Huntsville, and he was brought up near enough the same way."

"Do you mind if I sit in on this particular session?" Sheldon asked, "It's just that Amy is worried about the discussion you were supposed to have about birthing methods, and the talk of a Caesarean frightened her."

"Oh Amy, why didn't you say?" Julie asked softly.

"I didn't want to sound stupid or like a child." Amy admitted.

"You don't at all sweetie. Of course Sheldon can stay if you need support. You don't need to ask me. He _is _your husband and the father." Julie smiled, patting Amy on the arm. "Sheldon can sit in whenever he likes."

Amy nodded and relaxed a little.

"Now, we'll start off with the exercises we practised last week. In fact, having Sheldon here would be good, so he can support you physically too." Julie smiled.

"Julie is teaching me breathing and birthing exercises," Amy explained to Sheldon. "I didn't want to go to antenatal classes, so Julie offered to teach me one-to-one. Isn't that great?"

"That _is _great! Now I know why Amy's Gynaecologist referred to you as their best midwife." Sheldon said.

Julie beamed. "Thank you Sheldon!"

They launched into the breathing exercises, as Sheldon sat and watched, fascinated by it all.

Julie then moved onto a more practical subject…

"How do you feel about massage during labor?" She asked Amy.

"Would it help?" Amy frowned.

"Some studies have shown that it can aid in relaxing the mother. I can teach Sheldon how to massage your shoulders and lower back. During the actual pregnancy it can be helpful, too, if you experience any discomfort." Julie explained.

"What do you think Sheldon?" Amy asked.

She didn't think Sheldon would want to do something so hands-on like massage, but he happily agreed.

"Let's give it a shot." He nodded. "If it helps Amy, I'll do anything."

Amy smiled gratefully at him.

Julie took some baby oil from her bag and handed it to Sheldon, who timidly took the cap off and sprayed some of the oil onto his hands, rubbing them together as Amy removed her shirt and sat shyly in her bra and sweatpants.

He didn't like the feel of the oil on his hands, and had a huge urge to wipe it off, but he gritted his teeth and let Julie guide him on what to do.

"From the top of the spine, run the flat of your hand all the way down. Apply some pressure but not too much, and not so little that it feels like you're stroking her skin."

Sheldon followed the instruction, and Amy felt tingles run through her body as Sheldon ran his hand down her spine and then instinctively moved both hands around her lower back and her sides.

"Wow! You've got it already!" Julie said, surprised. "I didn't even tell him to do this part Amy, that's all Sheldon."

Amy was soothed by the feel of Sheldon's hands massaging and caressing her skin.

He rested his chin on her shoulder, and Amy felt his breath on her neck.

She closed her eyes.

Sheldon stopped, and then turned to face Julie. "How did I do?"

"You should be asking Amy." Julie replied, "But from here, it looked very good. You're a fast learner! Amy, what do you think?"

"It was wonderful." Amy replied. "I felt so connected to him."

Julie smiled. "That's another benefit of this technique."

"Julie…Could I ask you to teach us some sexual positions that are good for pregnant women?" Amy asked, meekly.

"Of course. In fact, I actually have a book to give you on it." Julie replied, taking a book out of her bag and handing it to Amy. "That's yours to keep. Sex positions are on page 20 to page 30."

"Thank you." Amy replied, opening the book and flicking through the pages.

The book contained information and images on exercises Amy could do, sexual positions and breathing and birthing techniques.

"So Amy…Many twin pregnancies unfortunately _can_ result in Caesarean sections." Julie said softly, "If this happens, there really isn't a lot that can be done to prevent it. However, you can still write up a birth plan and choose where you'd like to give birth; in a private room, semi-private, a birthing pool…Hopefully your babies will be born naturally, but it's always good to have a plan."

Amy nodded. "Can Sheldon be allowed into the O.R if I do need a Caesarean?" She asked.

"Of course. The father or birthing partner is always allowed in." Julie nodded. "He'd need to wear hospital scrubs, gloves and a mask of course, but he'll be allowed in."

"Sheldon's a bit funny with hospitals." Amy confessed. "He absolutely hates them. I'm scared he won't…"

"I _will_ be there for the birth." He cut in. "Regardless of my aversion to hospitals! I put the babies inside you, so you can bet your life I'll be there when they're being born…Or cut out of you."

"I think you're okay Amy." Julie said, "Sheldon doesn't seem the type to just leave you alone in all of this."

"I'm not." He replied.

"I know," Amy nodded. "I'm just scared to give birth, and I'm scared to have a C-section. That's the only thing about this whole pregnancy that's scaring me. I couldn't bear to do it alone." She sniffed and wiped a tear away.

"You won't be alone. I'll be there; you never have to be alone again." Sheldon said quietly.

Amy took a deep breath and nodded, calming herself down.

_Stupid hormones!_

"So um…Which of these would you recommend?" Amy asked Julie, opening her book to the pregnancy sex position pages.

"Look on page 24." Julie replied.

Amy flicked to that page, and looked at the illustration.

"So, you would both lay on your sides, with your back to him, and he would penetrate from behind. Both of his legs would go between yours, so it's like you're sitting on his lap, but you're lying on your sides, if that makes sense? It's a lot easier than it looks, trust me. That way, it puts less pressure on your stomach, and his hand will be free so he can easily caress your baby bump, or explore your breasts, or use his hand for clitoral stimulation; whatever he prefers." Julie explained. "This is probably the most romantic and most comfortable one for you."

Amy nodded. "Thank you. We'll try that."

"No problem. Now, I have twenty minutes left; would you like to make a start drawing up a birth plan?"

..

Once Julie had left, Amy turned to Sheldon, who was putting the mugs in the sink ready to wash.

"Thank you for being there." Amy said.

"No problem. Actually…I was wondering if I could sit in on some more sessions with you. We're both new to babies and birth so it would help me, too." Sheldon asked.

"I'd love that!" Amy grinned. "Thanks."

Sheldon smiled, but at that moment, his cell phone rang.

He answered and put it on speaker whilst he washed the cups. "Hello?"

"Hey Sheldon, it's Leonard. Listen, I spoke to the guys and Penny and Bernadette about yours and Amy's anniversary, and they love the idea, too! When are you getting to work? We all need to meet at lunch to start organizing the…"

Sheldon hurriedly turned off the speaker, embarrassed. "Um, I'll be leaving home in a minute." He replied, drying up the cups as he balanced his phone between his shoulder and his ear.

"Alright Leonard, I'll see you at lunch. Goodbye."

He hung up and pocketed his phone, looking up sheepishly at Amy.

"What do you have planned for our anniversary then?" She grinned. "Come on stud, tell me."

"I can't tell you. It's a secret."

"You hate secrets."

"I happen to like this one."

Amy raised her eyebrows. "Sheldon…"

"Oh look at the time. I have to go. I'll see you later; I love you." Sheldon said hurriedly, kissing Amy on the lips and then racing out of the door, only stopping long enough to grab his windbreaker, bag and keys.

Amy frowned and shook her head, seating herself on the couch to watch some TV.

..

**A/N: Okay, so I know I've updated twice today now, but today has just been so completely crappy, I actually want to burst into tears right now, and writing is the only thing keeping me sane at the moment :/ . So, I'm sorry if you aren't liking the really frequent updates. Thanks for taking the time to read and review. **


	57. Chapter 57

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews. Still not over myself yet lol…I basically got told I'm really sick (long-term kind of sick, not just like a cold or anything.) So am kind of in a mess. Thank you for the reviews and messages; they really cheered me up. Chapter 57 is here…Major fluff warning for later in this chapter!**

**..**

"Sheldon, over here!" Leonard stood up at the table, beckoning to his friend.

Sheldon walked over and sat down.

He noticed that Raj was also still battered and bruised, and that the cut on his lip had scabbed overnight.

Sheldon cleared his throat. "Rajesh, I'd like to apologise for injuring you yesterday. And you, Howard."

"No, we shouldn't have made those comments about your daughters. We were only joking, but even so, making crude comments about a child is wrong." Raj replied.

"Yeah, we're really sorry." Howard finished.

"And to make it up to you, we're going to throw you and Amy the best Anniversary party ever!" Raj grinned, pulling a huge ringbinder out of his satchel and dropping it loudly on the table.

He opened the folder and flicked through countless pages of pastel-colored decorations and cakes.

Leonard frowned. "Do you happen to have a Y chromosome in there?"

Raj ignored him.

"Raj, as much as I appreciate this…You do know what I was planning for mine and Amy's anniversary, right?" Sheldon raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, a party…"

"No. I was planning a…"

"Dr Cooper." Siebert wandered over to the table, "How's your wife? And how did the midwife go this morning?"

"She's fine thanks, and it was really good. Very insightful; I was actually wondering whether you would grant me some absence on all of Amy's weekly midwife appointments? She's brilliant; she takes extra time to teach us birthing methods, parenting skills, what I can do to help Amy during the pregnancy and labor…I'd still come to work, just perhaps a couple of hours later. Just until the twins are born." Sheldon asked.

"Not a problem." Siebert replied. "Oh and thanks for the invite; the wife and I would love to attend."

"Thank you." Sheldon replied, turning back around.

He opened his mouth to speak again, but an envelope was dropped in front of him. "Hewwo Coopew. I AWE-SVP'd to youw invite. See you thewe."

"Thanks, Kripke." He nodded, taking the envelope and opening it, seeing the 'yes' box ticked, before he re-sealed it and slipped it neatly into his satchel.

"Dude, you already sent out invites?" Raj groaned.

"Yes…"

"But I was going to suggest these. Look at the lettering, it's beautiful. And the color scheme is darling."

Sheldon, Leonard and Howard all stared at him.

"Is there a medical doctor in here?" Sheldon asked, scanning the cafeteria.

"Maybe in the nurse's office; why?" Howard responded.

"Because I think Raj needs a prescription for a pair of testicles."

Raj gave Sheldon a withering look. "Oh ha-ha! Just because I like calligraphy and pastel colors does not make me any less of a man."

Howard peered at Raj. "Hmm, then how do you explain your black eye _magically_ vanishing?"

Raj shifted uncomfortably. "I might have covered it with concealer and powder."

Sheldon raised his eyebrows. "I rest my case."

..

As Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj all made their way down the hallway to return to their offices and labs, Dr Gablehauser stopped Sheldon in the hallway.

"Ah, Dr Cooper. I was looking for you! The wife and I would love to come, thank you." He said, handing Sheldon an envelope.

"Thank you Dr Gablehauser." Sheldon replied, tucking the envelope in his satchel.

He turned a corner, and his friends froze.

"Are you coming with me?" Sheldon asked as he paused outside the door.

"No way Jose, I'm not going in there!" Howard laughed nervously. "Not after last time."

"Leonard? Raj?"

"Forget it dude. She scares me." Raj shook his head.

Leonard sighed. "I'll go." He followed Sheldon to the door as his friend performed his signature three knocks.

"Yes, Dr Cooper?" Came the voice from inside.

Sheldon frowned. "How did she know it was me?"

"It's a mystery, it's a mystery, it's a mystery." Leonard mocked. "Just go in."

Sheldon opened the door. "Good afternoon, Ms Davis. I just wondered if you had looked over my proposal yet?"

"Ah yes." The human resources woman replied, as she reached into her purse and took out an envelope. "I'd love to attend. Thank you for the invite…How are your interpersonal skills coming along, Dr Cooper?"

"Much better, thank you for asking." He replied, before adding: "And how are you?"

"I'm very well, thank you. I'm impressed, Dr Cooper! You've done extremely well."

Sheldon smiled politely. "Thank you, I'll see you later."

He closed the door behind him, and placed this envelope into his satchel along with the others.

"Hey Sheldon, did you invite Alex yet?" Raj asked.

"I was going to give her the invite today because she wasn't here when I handed them out. Why?" Sheldon frowned.

"Would you mind if I asked her as my plus one?"

"Oh…I thought you liked Dr Turner?" Sheldon asked.

"That was months ago. I like Alex again." Raj replied.

"Good Lord. It's a wonder any of us can keep up with your ever-changing romantic interests!" Sheldon rolled his eyes.

"Could you please just ask her?" Raj hissed, desperately.

"Ask her yourself. You can talk to women now, and here she is." Sheldon nodded towards the end of the hallway and Raj spun round.

"Good afternoon everyone!" Alex smiled.

"Hey Alex." They chorused.

"Alex, may I speak to you?" Raj asked.

"Oh, of course. Is everything okay, Dr Koothrappali?"

Sheldon handed Raj the invite to give to Alex.

Alex opened the envelope. "Ah…I see, but this is from Dr Cooper…" She said, confused.

"Yes, but I was wondering if you would accompany me as my date?" Raj asked shyly. "You can say no if you want. You probably will, I mean it's me; the guy who couldn't talk to you for almost a year, and…"

"Yes."

"What?"

"I'd love to go with you Dr Koothrappali." Alex smiled.

"Oh…Great. Thank you!" Raj spluttered, before grinning. "Would you like to meet tomorrow after work for coffee? We can discuss what colors we should wear together."

Alex nodded. "I'd love to."

"Awesome…So…It's a date then." Raj rubbed his hands together.

"I guess it is, Dr Koothrappali."

"Call me Raj."

"Okay…Raj. I'll see you tomorrow for coffee. Should we meet here after work so we can go together?" Alex asked.

"Sure." Raj replied, eagerly.

"I look forward to it." Alex beamed, letting herself into Sheldon's office.

The guys all looked at Raj, eyebrows raised.

Raj grinned. "I was so smooth. But Sheldon, are you okay with this? I mean if Alex and I were to get into a relationship or anything…"

Sheldon shrugged. "Why is it any of my business who you pair-bond or fornicate with? Go ahead."

..

That afternoon, Sheldon arrived home to find Amy on the couch, reading a book, with Scooby happily tucking into his bowl of food.

"I have something for you." Sheldon smiled, as Amy looked up at him.

"Is it an explanation about your secret Anniversary plans?" She asked.

"No, but it is a clue…" Sheldon replied. "You know I don't really like keeping secrets, and I know that you are desperate to know this one, so I figured that giving you a clue wouldn't hurt, and also wouldn't count as telling."

Amy smiled. "You're getting good at this whole compromise thing! Come on, show me!" She placed the bookmark in her current page, and put the book down on the table.

Sheldon removed his hand from behind his back and presented a peach-pink scented Yankee Candle.

Amy frowned. "Hmm…Is it a candlelit dinner?"

Sheldon shook his head. "Perhaps if you were to smell it, that might give you a clue."

Amy took the candle and sniffed it. "I recognize that scent…" She frowned.

"You probably do, but I'm not giving anything away. Also, I was thinking that we could put the candle to good use." Sheldon hinted. "Normally I don't condone using candles in here because they're a fire hazard, but on this one occasion, I am prepared to make an exception."

He took a box of matches from the kitchen drawer and took Amy's hand.

"Oh wait! I need the bathroom again. Could you just wait one minute?" She asked.

"Of course. I'll uh…Get ready." Sheldon replied.

Amy shut herself in the bathroom as Sheldon walked into the bedroom and closed the curtains, blocking out the afternoon sunlight.

He found Amy's pregnancy chillout music CD and placed it into the player, switching it on and turning the volume to an acceptable level, before placing the candle safely on one of the bedside tables.

Just as he lit the scented candle, Amy returned, dressed only in a bathrobe and closing the bedroom door.

She blinked, taking in the scene. "Oh my God…Sheldon, this is so romantic!"

"Shh." He whispered, softly grazing her lips with his, and pressing them firmly into a kiss, before parting them again to let his tongue glide gently over hers.

He took her hand and led her over to the bed, where he gently laid her down, straddled her hips and leaned down to drop soft kisses all around her lips.

Amy grabbed the hem of Sheldon's top shirt and lifted it off over his head, so now he was only in his plain, navy long-sleeve and his slacks.

Sheldon knelt up, pulling the shirt off, revealing his slim but defined body, before reaching for the ties on Amy's fleecy bathrobe.

The bathrobe fell apart, so now Amy was revealing her whole body, covered only by a bra and panties.

Sheldon leaned down again, and inched his way up her body like a prowling lion, until his face was inches above hers, closing in for a deep, loving kiss.

He gently lowered his body onto Amy's, until his stomach touched hers, the baby bump carefully sandwiched between them.

At that moment, the couple felt completely connected as they lay skin-to-skin, with Sheldon feeling the light baby movements from Amy's stomach radiating through his own.

It sent butterflies through his body, feeling somewhat what Amy felt; feeling the lives that they'd both created moving around before they had even entered the world.

After a few moments, Sheldon gently flipped Amy onto her side with her back to him, as he lay behind her.

Knowing what was coming; Amy removed her panties, and watched the flame on the scented candle dance as she felt Sheldon remove his boxers next to her.

She reached a hand back to pleasure him until he was ready, and mimicked the position they had seen in her '_The Physical Mother' _book that Julie had given her earlier.

Slipping inside Amy, Sheldon cuddled her closely as they moved in time together, slowly making love with Sheldon using his free hand to explore and caress Amy' body.

Julie had been right; this position _was_ romantic.

Amy was pleasantly surprised that Sheldon had taken the initiative and done this for her, knowing how stressed and scared she had been feeling lately.

After some time, Amy breathed raggedly and let out soft moans as orgasm washed over her, just as she felt Sheldon release with her.

Catching her breath, Amy rolled over to face him. "Thank you." She whispered.

She was silenced by another kiss.

They both just lay there for a while, not wanting to move just yet, or get dinner just yet, but to just enjoy the connection they felt.

Amy glanced at the candle, trying to figure out why it was so familiar, but couldn't place it.

Shrugging to herself, she snuggled closer to Sheldon and sighed softly.

..


	58. Chapter 58

After a while, Amy and Sheldon had got up and wandered into the kitchen, wordlessly.

Sheldon picked up a takeout menu and glanced round at Amy, who was making some tea.

Leonard was hanging out with Howard and Raj that evening at the comic book store and then The Cheesecake Factory.

Sheldon had declined their invitation on order to be with Amy.

Amy caught Sheldon staring at her, and smiled.

He smiled back.

"Um…I just wanted to thank you for earlier." Amy said softly. "It was beautiful…I've never felt so close to you."

"Me too," Sheldon replied, taking Amy by the waist and kissing her softly.

The babies moved within Amy's abdomen.

"I think the girls liked that, too." She grinned, stroking her bump.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Sheldon frowned, bending down to talk to the girls. "I hope you two are behaving yourselves in there!"

He felt one kick, shortly followed by another.

"Does that mean yes or no?" He asked.

Amy put on a squeaky voice; "yes daddy."

Sheldon laughed. "Would you mind if I try something?" He looked up at Amy.

"Of course not. Go ahead." Amy nodded.

Sheldon lifted Amy's shirt and shyly pressed his lips to her stomach.

Almost instantly, he felt movement.

"I love you both so much." He murmured. "Hurry up and be born so we can meet you."

Amy laughed nervously. "But don't arrive too early, babies. We haven't got anything ready yet."

"That reminds me…Leonard is moving out within the week. Maybe we should visit some stores so we can start on the nursery." Sheldon said.

Amy blinked. "Really?"

"Of course. Why don't we go tomorrow? It's Saturday so we will have all day. Leonard was planning on moving into Penny's properly then anyway; he's already moved a majority of his stuff."

"Okay…I'd love that." Amy grinned. "And maybe you could give me another hint for our Anniversary party?"

"It's not really a party as such…" Sheldon replied.

"A-ha! So that's another clue!" Amy smiled, devilishly.

"You vixen!" Sheldon shook his head. "What do you want for dinner? Is pizza okay?"

"Pizza is fine. But could we get a large pizza? I'm eating for three, and I'm starving."

..

"Babies R Us!" Sheldon read as the cab dropped them outside the superstore the following day. "How original."

Amy laughed. "Come on, stud!"

Sheldon paid and thanked the driver as they got out of the cab and walked inside.

As soon as they stepped through the doors, Amy squealed and hurried towards a white and pale pink crib.

"Oh Sheldon, look!" She said excitedly, "Isn't this adorable?!"

"It is nice, but we should really check out our other options before we make a decision." He replied sensibly.

"Good point." Amy shrugged.

They wandered around the aisles, pushing a cart.

Within an hour, they had selected numerous cute outfits, sleepsuits, soft toys, pacifiers and bottles.

Sheldon had found a cute little night light that projected stars and planets onto the ceiling, and played lullaby music when a button was pressed.

They stocked up on necessities like diapers and blankets and burping cloths before Amy returned to the crib she had seen.

"This is the only one I liked." She pouted. "The others were so plain."

"Hmm it is cute…" Sheldon considered. "And it's flat-packed and looks easy enough to assemble. We'll need two though."

Amy nodded as she leaned down to pick up one of the boxes next to the display.

"Whoa! What are you doing?" Sheldon asked, hurrying round to stand next to her.

"Picking one up to put in the cart." She frowned.

"I don't think so!" He replied. "You're not allowed to lift heavy things."

"It doesn't look that heavy…"

Sheldon had picked it up and placed it into the cart. "It isn't." He replied, lifting the second one. "But you are pregnant and can't lift things."

Amy smiled and stepped back, letting Sheldon lift the box.

They pushed the cart to the checkout to pay for their things.

As they were leaving, a voice called out: "Dr Cooper?"

Sheldon turned around and spotted a tall, red-headed woman with a young child.

He frowned. "Ramona?"

Ramona grinned, until she saw Amy turn around, and then her expression hardened.

"And who is this?" Ramona demanded.

"This is my wife, Amy." Sheldon introduced.

Ramona plastered on a fake, spiteful smile. "So, is the baby Sheldon's?"

"_Babies, _actually. We're expecting twins." Amy replied, confused by the younger woman's nasty tone.

"How nice for you." She glared at Sheldon.

"Uh…Amy, Ramona was one of my students once. We met after one of my lectures." Sheldon introduced.

"Don't forget the rest." Ramona said. "I guess you haven't told _Amy _about us?"

Sheldon frowned. "Us?"

"Yes…Us. I'm surprised you've forgotten."

"I never forget. We were never an item; you tried to help me on some of my work just so I'd credit you once it was published."

Ramona shook her head pityingly, before glancing at Amy and eyeing her stomach with disgust. "Typical Sheldon Cooper." She said, "And I'll bet he spun you the same story about how he has never slept with or kissed another woman, right?"

"It's not a story; it's true. I was his first." Amy replied.

"Really? Then how do you explain Freddie here?" Ramona sneered as the five-year-old boy ran up behind her and grabbed her hand.

Sheldon and Amy stared wide-eyed.

"Bye!" Ramona grinned maliciously as she walked away with the young boy.

Amy looked to Sheldon for confirmation.

"Amy…I swear I didn't!" Sheldon shook his head. "I _never _did anything with her! I haven't seen her in about six years or more!"

"That child looked about five, Sheldon. How do you explain that?"

"Wait, you are actually doubting me based on what some random girl said?" He asked, feeling hurt.

"No…I don't know…" Amy shrugged.

"She is trying to cause trouble Amy. She's jealous. I promise you, that girl was obsessed with me and I never in any way, shape or form let her believe that we were in a relationship! Ask Penny and Leonard. They know everything!" Sheldon said, truthfully. "The last thing I told her was to get out because she used me to get credit. I never saw or spoke to her again, I swear."

Amy blinked furiously.

"Are you crying?" Sheldon asked. "Please don't cry…"

"I need to be alone. I need to clear my head." Amy whispered, walking over to the taxis and selecting one, ignoring Sheldon's protests.

He gave up trying once the cab drove away.

Whipping out his phone, he called Leonard to come get him.

As he waited, he leaned against the building and let the tears fall.

All the romance, all the things he had done…And one person's lies had changed Amy's mind just like that.

..

Leonard arrived minutes later and got out the car to find Sheldon sobbing against the wall.

"Hey, come here." Leonard extended his arms.

Without a second thought, Sheldon accepted the hug.

"Amy is with Penny." Leonard said, handing Sheldon a paper bag to breathe into. "Penny is putting her straight about the whole Ramona thing."

"I don't understand it." Sheldon shook his head. "I have never lied to Amy. I would never lie to her about something like that. I trust her more than anyone else, so why won't she trust me?"

"Sometimes when people make passing comments, and bring their kid along, sometimes you don't think about it. You just hear what's been said, saw a kid who looks about the right age, and in creep the doubts. You and I both know Ramona is bat crap crazy, and we sure as hell know you didn't sleep with her!"

"I did _nothing_ with her." Sheldon corrected. "Not a kiss, not a hug… _nothing_!"

"I know, and Penny knows. She is telling Amy right now."

"We haven't even been married for a year; it's been ten months. Our marriage lasted ten months. I was going to make our one year anniversary special." Sheldon cried. "I was going to…"

"I know…" Leonard comforted. "Amy won't separate from you. She just had a momentary doubt. Hell, anyone would if some woman from your past rocked up with a kid about the right age, and said it's yours. It's just an instant reaction. Amy knows deep down you'd never do that. Her hormones certainly aren't helping things."

"But how will I know if she really trusts me now?" Sheldon asked.

"Um Sheldon…Not to be a jerk, but didn't you question her about the pregnancy after finding out how far along she was?" Leonard said, gently.

Sheldon said nothing.

"You and Amy had been trying again for three weeks, but she was _five_ weeks pregnant and it freaked you out. But you know deep down Amy was never with anyone else. Those twins are yours, yet you still questioned her; that's what couples do. If you really love and care about them, of course you'll get jealous and doubtful sometimes. That's normal." Leonard explained.

"I apologized to Amy for that. I know they are mine." Sheldon said.

"I know, and Amy will apologize too. Don't hold it over her. All couples doubt each other, and there's always some home-wrecking bitch around getting jealous and trying to ruin it. But you guys aren't used to that, because this is all new to you. You _cannot _let this ruin what you and Amy have."

"Leonard…What if Amy really _does_ leave me? I'll lose her and the twins. I don't want the love of my life to leave me and take my babies away."

"She won't. I promise." Leonard soothed. "Come on. I'll help you put all of this in the car, and we'll go back to the apartment and cool off until Amy and Penny come to talk to us, okay?"

Sheldon nodded.

"Come on buddy. It'll be fine, I promise." Leonard said, helping Sheldon to carry the new baby stuff to the car.

..

"So…Nothing happened? At all?" Amy asked croakily, her eyes bloodshot.

"Amy, I swear nothing happened." Penny promised, "This girl was absolutely fricking insane! She thought _I _was in love with _Sheldon_! I mean seriously…Me!?"

Amy smiled weakly. "Sheldon and you are so not each other's type!"

"Exactly." Penny nodded, "That gives you some idea of how crazy she is. She was super controlling of him, too. She was always on at him to finish his work, and he was never allowed to hang out with me or the guys. He got fed up and started sneaking out to play paintball, and hiding in the shower to play his handheld games. Does that sound like someone who was in love to you?"

"No." Amy shook her head.

"I swear to God, Sheldon did not touch that psycho girl. She just made a passing comment to be spiteful; girls do that Amy, unfortunately, but you can't let it destroy you and Sheldon; you guys are perfect for each other. The only way that kid could be Sheldon's is if she sperm-jacked him while he was asleep! But come on, he would have woken up halfway through and had a heart attack if that had happened!" Penny said. "It's probably her nephew or brother or cousin… or it _is_ her kid, but the dad isn't around. Seriously Amy, Sheldon loves you and you need to trust him. He's breaking his back to prove how much he loves you. I've known that man for over seven years now, and he's never, ever even been close to showing this much affection to anyone. He's in love with you Amy; he'd never do that to you."

Amy nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek. "You're right. I feel so stupid…" She wiped her eyes. "Why did I believe it? Even for a moment."

"Amy, come on. She had a five year old kid with her, and Sheldon knew her six years ago. Sure it looked suspicious; anyone would think so. But I think you knew deep down that Sheldon would never keep something like this from you…Don't you?"

Amy nodded. "Yeah." She admitted. "I owe him a huge apology."

Penny smiled. "I hate to say it Ames, but you kinda do."

Amy took a deep breath and stood up to go out into the hall.

As she exited the door, she saw Leonard helping Sheldon with the baby stuff through the opposite apartment's door.

She caught a quick glance of Sheldon's face, and saw that it was pale and tear-stained, his eyes bright red.

Sheldon heard movement and looked up at Amy.

He swallowed hard as he walked towards her.

"Sheldon…I am so, so sorry that I doubted you. I know she was lying and just being spiteful, and Penny has told me everything. I should have believed you…I-I'm sorry." Amy said, tearfully.

"You're not going to leave me are you?" Sheldon asked, "You're not going to leave and take the babies away with you?"

Amy saw then just how hurt her husband was and it broke her, knowing that she was the reason behind it.

"No." She cried harder, "Never."

Sheldon nodded, and sighed with relief as he embraced Amy in a tight hug. "I guess the hormones didn't help?" He mentioned.

"Probably not." Amy shook her head. "I really am sorry Sheldon. I know you've bent over backwards for me, and you really _have_ done everything for me. I had no right to think that you would do something like that."

"It's okay. Can we just pretend it never happened?" Sheldon asked.

Amy nodded. "Of course."

Sheldon smiled and kissed her on the lips, before kneeling down and kissing her bump.

"I love you three too much to sabotage this." He said, softly.

Amy nodded again. "I know. Me too."


	59. Chapter 59

**A/N: Thank you for reviewing and for the well-wishes. And to 'swiss-cheese-x': thank you, I love you too for taking the time to read and review ;) That goes for all of you! :)**

**..**

_Two months later…_

_.._

Dr Farrow rolled the stick over Amy's stomach and located the twins, who were active and kicking near Amy's ribs.

"Hey! Don't make me come in there!" Sheldon warned, leaning down to talk to the bump.

Amy and Dr Farrow laughed.

"Well Amy; you're over seven months now, and they're healthy and active. I think you are completely in the safety zone now and will carry full-term this time. Congratulations." Dr Farrow smiled. "Of course I'll still need to see you regularly, but you're all good."

Amy grinned. "Thank you so much, Doctor."

As they left the building, Sheldon took her hand. "Another six to eight weeks and they should be here." He said.

"I look like I'm nine months already." Amy groaned. "And I feel it."

"Don't worry; not much longer. Also…What would you say if I told you I could make you feel beautiful again?" Sheldon looked Amy in the eye.

"You always do, but I'm sensing you mean something specific?"

"Yes."

"Is it to do with our anniversary tomorrow?"

"Maybe."

Amy beamed. "It is, isn't it? Oh Sheldon just tell me!"

He sighed. "I've been planning this for over two months…" He began, leading Amy along the sidewalk and into a store.

She hadn't noticed that they had even entered a store until she looked up, and found herself surrounded by designer dresses and gowns.

"I want you to pick one." He said. "Whichever one you like"

Amy blinked at him. "Uh…These won't fit me."

"The maternity section will."

Amy wandered over and shyly looked through the rack.

"Oh Sheldon, I can't let you spend this much on a dress for me." She said.

"You have to otherwise the plan won't go to …well, plan!"

Amy had her eye on a beautiful purple dress with crystal bursts on the bodice.

Sheldon saw her eyeing it and smiled. "The purple one?"

Amy nodded. "It's pretty, but the price…"

"Is irrelevant." Sheldon replied, taking it off the hanger and handing it to Amy. "Go try it on."

Amy smiled and hurried into the changing room, emerging moments later in floor-length purple satin.

"I could wear this with my white and silver wedges that I wore at our wedding." Amy said. "What do you think?" She asked, twirling.

"You look beautiful." Sheldon replied.

He turned around and found himself facing an accessory rack, plucking off some white satin gloves, handing them to Amy.

She pulled them on and grinned, twirling again, looking at her reflection in the mirror. "Even with the baby bump I still look…Pretty." She sounded genuinely surprised.

"Of course you do." Sheldon replied. "I'm buying this for you, end of story."

"Thank you, but what's the occasion? I mean, I know it's our anniversary, but why such a formal dress?" Amy asked.

Sheldon just raised his eyebrows. "It's a secret."

Amy changed back into her maternity clothes, carefully placing the dress back on its hanger, and handing the gloves to Sheldon.

He paid, and as they left the store, he spoke again; "Penny and Bernadette will be over to do your hair and makeup and whatever else you girls do at eleven thirty tomorrow morning, and then I will come to pick you up at three O'clock. I won't be there when you wake up; I have last minute preparations to make."

"Oh." Amy blinked.

"But we can still be intimate after six O'clock, which is when this particular surprise ends and we can return home, so you will not miss out on anniversary intimacy and romance." Sheldon finished.

"Okay." Amy grinned.

"Excellent." Sheldon kissed her as they climbed into a cab.

..

Sheldon had indeed left by the time Amy woke up the next morning.

She rubbed her eyes and found a small envelope on his pillow, attached to some string which led out of the door.

She opened the envelope and inside was a 'Happy Anniversary' card from Sheldon;

_To Amy,_

_Happy one year anniversary and many more to come._

_I hope that today is everything you ever wanted and more._

_I love you eternally._

_Love Sheldon xxxxxxx_

Amy beamed at the contents of the card.

She had become used to romantic Sheldon by now.

As she looked at the string, she found a sticky note on the floor next to it, saying 'follow me'.

She climbed out of bed and followed the string through the hallway, until she reached the kitchen.

Amy gasped as she spotted the enormous bouquet of flowers waiting for her, and a jewellery box.

Opening it, she gasped again, as she pulled out a beautiful white-gold necklace with purple amethyst jewels on the droplet pendants.

She wished Sheldon was here so that she could jump on him and thank him properly.

She thought of the present she had bought him, hoping that he would appreciate it as much as she appreciated hers.

Amy had secretly gone for a private 3D scan of the babies, and had created a special and expensive photo frame with photos from hers and Sheldon's wedding, plus the 3D baby photos. She had also sought Leonard's help to select a suit especially tailored for Sheldon, having acquired his measurements, which had the Flash logo on one breast pocket.

Amy made herself some breakfast and tucked in before showering and getting changed.

At 11:30, Penny and Bernadette arrived, laden with garment bags, shoes, carry cases of makeup and hair products and styling wands.

The girls chatted as they worked their magic on Amy.

Stepping back to admire their handiwork, they smiled.

Amy looked at her appearance in the mirror they had hidden from her.

Her eyelids were dusted with a smoky purple, and lined in black and her long lashes were even more defined with black mascara.

She was wearing a light foundation and blush on her cheeks, with just lipbalm on her lips, and her hair curled into beautiful, bouncy waves.

Amy grinned. "Thank you. I love it!"

"You're welcome." Penny and Bernadette replied, as they worked on their own appearances.

Once they were done, they packed up and headed back over to Penny's apartment.

"Sheldon will be here in a half hour. Get your dress on! We're going to change at Penny's." Bernadette grinned.

"Wait…Can any of you tell me what's going on?" Amy begged.

"Sorry Ames. We're sworn to secrecy." Penny apologized. "You look really beautiful. See you soon!"

..

Once Amy was changed into her dress, she shrugged on a bolero that she had borrowed from Bernadette, and packed her things into her purse.

Just as she opened the door to leave, she almost bumped into Sheldon.

Her eyes widened as she took in what he was wearing;

He was dressed in a dark-blue suit and plain white shirt with a plain tie and black formal shoes, and he had obviously let someone style his hair so that it looked floppy but effortlessly smart.

"Wow!" Amy blinked. "You look so…Wow!"

Sheldon smiled. "You too. Come on." He nodded his head towards the stairs.

Amy locked the door and took his hand as they descended the stairs, and finally arrived at the entrance.

"No fricking way!" Amy gasped, as she spotted the black limousine parked by the sidewalk.

"Actually, _yes_ fricking way." Sheldon replied, as the driver opened the door for them.

Sheldon let Amy slide in first, before joining her.

"This is amazing! I've never been in a limo before!" Amy grinned. "You have to tell me what you've organized!"

Sheldon shook his head. "Not yet."

Amy was bouncing the whole way to the destination, which surprisingly didn't bother Sheldon one bit.

They arrived at a large mansion-type building and got out of the car, thanking the driver.

Sheldon took Amy's hand and walked her through the door…

..

Amy looked up as she entered the function room and gasped again.

"Oh my God! Sheldon!"

The whole room was decorated with balloons, streamers and even an ice sculpture.

Above their heads was a huge banner saying 'Congratulations Amy and Sheldon.'

"Penny made that." Sheldon explained, seeing Amy read the banner.

"_This _is what you were organizing?" Amy grinned, "A huge party?"

"It's not exactly a party." Sheldon began; "I remember you saying once that you never attended your High School Prom. The truth is, neither did I. It's fine for a guy not to go, but all girls deserve a prom. Especially you."

Amy's eyes welled with tears and she threw her arms around Sheldon, planting a huge kiss on his lips.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"That's not all though…" Sheldon said, mysteriously.

"What do you mean?" Amy frowned.

Sheldon pushed open the next set of double-doors and they entered the next room, where everyone was sat patiently in rows.

At the sound of the doors opening, everyone turned around.

"That's my cue to go." Sheldon whispered as he walked down the middle of the rows and stood at the other end.

Amy felt a presence next to her.

"Hello dear."

"Mom!" Amy hugged her mother, "What are you doing here? This is a prom thing, right?"

Her mother shook her head. "Not exactly. I'm giving you away…For the second time."

Suddenly it all made sense.

Sheldon had been arranging a _proper _wedding for them so that families and friends could all attend; a renewal of their vows on their first anniversary.

Amy let her mother escort her down the aisle to a classical tune that she recognized from her harp lessons.

She reached the end, and looked up at Sheldon, grinning and shaking her head.

"You are the best husband in the world." She whispered.

"You mean I _will _be!" He winked, taking her hands.

The minister that Sheldon had hired read through the vows with Amy and Sheldon, before Sheldon produced brand new eternity rings for them both.

They exchanged them, and then continued on.

"By the power vested in me and the state of California, I pronounce you husband and wife…Again." The minister concluded.

The whole room erupted into claps and cheers as Amy and Sheldon exchanged a kiss, before walking back down the aisle together and into the function room.

..

"I can't believe you did this!" Amy shook her head, still grinning widely. "Now I'm Mrs Cooper _again, _even though I never actually stopped _being _Mrs Cooper. It's weird."

"Well, remember that we're not like most couples." Sheldon replied. "Weird is what we do best."

"Hey Mr and Mrs-for-the-second-time Cooper!" Penny giggled, running over to the couple in her hot pink colored prom dress.

"It's actually Dr and Dr Cooper," Sheldon replied, "But close enough."

"Let's see this ring then!" Bernadette said to Amy, as Amy extended her hand to show off the eternity ring.

The ring was gold, embedded with four jewels; two sapphires and two emeralds.

"That's beautiful!" Bernadette remarked.

"And pure gold? Nice!" Penny observed. "Sheldon sure knows how to pick out rings!"

Leonard, Howard and Raj wandered over.

"Congratulations on your second marriage!" Howard joked.

"It was nice to be there this time; we hated the fact that we missed your last one." Raj finished.

Mary Cooper walked over with Meemaw and Missy in tow.

"Hi Shelly!" Mary greeted, hugging her son. "And Amy…My, you look beautiful! Those babies don't have long left in there!" She patted Amy's stomach.

"About a month or more." Amy replied. "I'm so nervous. The thought of going into labor terrifies me!"

"Aw, sugar, you'll be fine. Shelly will be there with you." Meemaw said. "I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced. I'm Sheldon's Meemaw…Just call me Meemaw too."

"Nice to meet you," Amy said politely, leaning in to hug her, and then moving on to Missy, introducing herself once again.

"Oh, a hug! I like this young lady, Sheldon. She's lovely…I hope you're treating her well?" Meemaw smiled.

Sheldon nodded. "I am trying my best, Meemaw."

"He's wonderful." Amy added. "He's been amazing…He works so hard, and he's so good with me and the babies. He sits in on my midwife appointments and takes part in the antenatal and parenting parts…He's brilliant."

Mary, Missy and Meemaw all stared at Sheldon in surprise.

"Wow!" Missy commented. "It's like a whole new Sheldon!"

Sheldon smiled to himself, as he and Amy mingled with more guests.

Sheldon's work colleagues and friends were there, as were a majority of Amy's new colleagues and even Julie the midwife was there with her husband.

The biggest surprise was when David, Emily, Dr Roberts and Sandy walked over to greet them both.

"Oh my God!" Amy squealed. "You came all the way from Florida for this!?"

"Of course." Emily replied brightly, "Happy second wedding and first anniversary!"

"You're pregnant?" David asked, nodding at Amy's stomach.

"Seven and a half months with twins." Amy confirmed.

"That's fantastic!" Dr Roberts smiled. "We knew you were trying back in Florida. Congratulations!"

The six of them chatted a little while longer, until Amy grew tired.

She excused herself and sat down at a table with Penny and Bernadette.

Bernadette was in a beautiful aqua-colored dress, whilst Penny was in her pink gown.

"We look like super girlie-girls!" Penny giggled, gulping some non-alcoholic wine. "Pink, blue, purple."

Bernadette laughed too, and as they both looked to Amy, who was frowning and clutching her stomach in pain, they frowned.

"Amy, are you okay?" Penny asked.

"Yeah…" Amy lied as she rubbed her stomach.

"No you're not." Bernadette shook her head, and ran to the other side of Amy. "What does the pain feel like?"

"Excruciating." Amy replied, her face pinched with pain.

"I'll go get Sheldon." Penny announced, standing up and hurrying across the room.

Bernadette was rubbing Amy's back soothingly when Penny returned with Sheldon in tow.

"Amy? What's wrong?" He asked, worried, as he sat beside her and held her hand.

"I…don't…know." Amy replied, taking deep and painful breaths.

"Are the babies coming early!?" He asked.

"I don't know Sheldon." Amy replied, biting her lip and trying not to cry.

Julie hurried over at that moment, and knelt beside Amy. "Where is the pain and how bad is it?" She asked.

"My lower stomach." Amy replied, "And awful. It's _so_ painful."

"It might be Braxton Hicks, but you need to go to the hospital immediately if it's that painful." Julie said.

"But it's our anniversary." Amy wept. "Sheldon spent so long planning this, and put so much effort and money into it…"

"Amy, that doesn't concern me as much as you and our baby girls do." Sheldon said firmly, "If it's nothing, then we can come back home and enjoy the rest of our evening alone together. I'd much rather do that with you."

"Yeah Ames, you really should go get it checked out. It's probably Braxton's, but it's better to know for sure." Penny reasoned, and Bernadette nodded in agreement.

Amy sighed. "Okay…I'll go."

As Penny and Sheldon helped her up so that Penny could drive her and Sheldon to the hospital, Amy turned to face Sheldon. "Sheldon I'm scared." She whispered.

"Me too Amy." He confessed, gripping her hand tightly. "But you'll be okay; I'm not going anywhere."


	60. Chapter 60

Upon arriving at the hospital, Amy had been sent straight through to have a scan and run some tests. After a short while, the doctor returned to her for the final time.

"Well Amy, it is just Braxton Hicks. Unfortunately there's nothing you can do other than relax and get through it. If you have something in particular that soothes you, then make sure you do it so that you can relax." The doctor told her.

Amy sighed with relief. "Thank God."

"Braxton Hicks prepare you for real life contractions, so this time it wasn't the real thing. This means unfortunately you will have to go back home again."

"That's fine, I'm sorry for wasting your time." She said.

"Amy, please don't apologize. You did the right thing and wasted nobody's time. If Braxton Hicks are painful, of course you should consult someone. If you get any kind of bleeding or discharge, come straight back." The doctor said.

"I will. Thank you Doctor."

Amy, Sheldon and Penny all piled back into Penny's car.

"Do you want to go back to your party or do you want to go home?" Penny asked.

Amy looked at Sheldon.

"Home please." Amy replied.

"Of course sweetie, I'll go back and explain to the others what happened. They're all here until the weekend, so you can always see them at some point before then." Penny smiled.

As Penny dropped Amy and Sheldon back at the apartment building, Amy thanked her best friend.

"No problem, you just focus on getting some rest." Penny smiled.

Sheldon walked with Amy up the stairs and unlocked the apartment door, where Scooby came rushing over, barking excitedly.

Sheldon fed him, before flopping back in his spot, sighing and loosening his tie.

Amy had gone into the bedroom and emerged minutes later with two packages and a card for Sheldon.

"Happy Anniversary." She smiled.

Sheldon opened his card and then moved onto the flat package.

He pulled out the frame and grinned when he saw the wedding photos from Florida, and then he spotted the 3D scan pictures. "Wait…Are they…?"

Amy nodded. "The twins, yes."

"You got a 3D scan?"

"Yep." Amy smiled.

"I can almost make out their faces! Wow…" Sheldon marvelled. "They're perfect."

"Don't forget your other present!" Amy grinned, patting the wrapping paper.

"Oh, of course! Sorry…" Sheldon replied as he carefully placed the photo frame down next to him.

He tore open the wrapping and gasped. "You got me a custom made suit?!"

"Look on the breast pocket." Amy smiled.

Sheldon looked and widened his eyes. "The Flash logo! Oh Amy, thank you!" He hugged her tight before releasing her and trying on the blazer over his shirt.

"It's the perfect size!" He said.

"Yeah, Leonard gave me your measurements." Amy responded. "I'm just sorry that my gifts to you aren't up to scratch with the ones you got me…Plus the ceremony and the prom theme." She said, putting a hand to her new necklace.

"Amy, these are perfect. I'm not worried about monetary value, and you completely deserved today. It's the least I could do after all the things you always did for me." Sheldon said, seriously. "Besides…You're giving me two healthy daughters and the rest of your life, and that's all I really want."

..

Amy was sitting in the living room that weekend, reading a magazine and eating white fudge Flipz with Scooby lazing next to her, when she heard a crash come from the back of the apartment.

Scooby jumped out of his skin, and Amy rose to her feet, wandering out the back to explore.

"Sheldon?"

"In here."

She walked into Leonard's former room and found Sheldon struggling with one of the cribs.

"I may need some help. Please could you call Leonard?" Sheldon asked.

Amy smiled and folded her arms.

"I seem to remember a couple of months ago, you saying: 'they look easy to assemble.' About these very cribs!"

"Amy, please?" Sheldon asked again.

"Alright, I'll be right back." She walked out of the room and picked up her cell phone to text Leonard.

Within minutes he was over. "Hey Amy. Where is he?" Leonard asked.

"In your old room." She replied.

Leonard smiled and nodded, as the two of them walked back to the back bedrooms.

"Oh good Leonard, you're here. Can you help me?" Sheldon asked.

"Sure. What's wrong?" Leonard knelt down, peering at the diagrams.

"Well, it says here to slot piece B onto piece A. I did, but it doesn't look right, and it fell apart." Sheldon replied, high-pitched. "It's not working!"

"Okay, okay, calm down." Leonard said, "You put this part round the wrong way, and of course it would fall apart; you need to put screws in it to hold it together!"

"Oh…"

"Give it here." Leonard said, taking what was meant to be the bottom of the crib, and one of the side railings. He turned the side railing over and slotted the thin part into the correct slot on the bottom of the crib, and screwed it all in place. "There. What next?"

"The bottom end." Sheldon replied, reading the diagram whilst holding up some smaller wooden railings.

"I'm going to make a drink, would you two like anything?" Amy asked.

"Water please." They said in unison.

Amy wandered into the kitchen and switched the kettle on, and then took two bottles of water out of the fridge from the large cardboard crate of bottled water they kept in there.

She grabbed a plastic plate from the cupboard and tipped some cookies onto it, before taking the refreshments back into the bedroom.

"Thank you." The two men said, appreciatively.

They had managed to build the crib by now, and just needed to add the legs and the baby mattress before starting on the second one.

"How are you after yesterday?" Leonard asked, looking up at Amy.

"Better thank you. The pains died down after a while and then just completely vanished." She replied.

"Yes, and then we decided it wouldn't be right if we didn't engage in coitus on our anniversary, so we had it…Twice!" Sheldon finished.

"That position that Julie taught us really is comfortable for pregnant women." Amy smiled at the thought.

"And romantic." Sheldon finished.

"Definitely romantic." Amy agreed.

"Um, guys…I'd rather not hear more about your sex life thank you. Not after last time." Leonard said, as he screwed one of the legs into place.

"Sorry. Hey Sheldon, is there anything I can do to help here?" Amy asked.

"Oh no, we've got it." He replied, smiling kindly at her.

"Oh…"

"Why don't you relax, Vixen? We'll be finished soon so I can join you."

"Sure." Amy replied, feeling useless.

She sighed and turned to walk away, when Sheldon stopped her.

"On second thought…You could help by making a list of things we still need to get."

Amy grinned. "Great!" She walked into hers and Sheldon's room to pick up a notebook and pen, before returning to the nursery room and seating herself on Leonard's old bed.

The bed was sold, and waiting to be picked up in the next few days, so Amy made the most of it, curling her legs up beside her.

"We need a changing station _and _changing mat." She said aloud, "We need a baby bath or two…diaper rash cream, baby wipes, and my all-time favorite scented thing…Baby powder."

Leonard frowned. "Why do you like the smell of baby powder?"

"Allow me to answer this one," Sheldon piped up, "Amy once said that I smell like baby powder. It's actually talc, but…"

"Uh Sheldon, no it isn't." Leonard said, ignoring Sheldon's raised eyebrows which were designed to hint at his friend to stop speaking. "You use baby powder when you come out of the shower. After living with you for so many years, it was kind of hard _not _to see the label that you cleverly turned around in the bathroom cupboard."

Sheldon glared at Leonard.

"You just revealed my darkest secret to Amy."

"_That's _your darkest secret?" Amy chuckled.

"Fine, well what's yours?" Sheldon asked, folding his arms.

"You kind of already know." Amy said, "I was technically engaged before we married. Remember? The Saudi Arabian prince who funded some of my lab equipment when I worked at UCLA."

Sheldon felt like a bucket of icy water had just been tipped over him.

He swallowed. "That…I do _not _remember." He croaked.

_How could he have forgotten that!?_

"I definitely told you." Amy frowned.

"So…You were promised to another man the entire time we were together? _And _when we were engaged?!" Sheldon asked.

"Yes. Well, no, not really. It was just an agreement to get funding, but we never agreed to act upon it. It was just for show."

"Oh, well as long as he knows that you are now married to another man and bearing his progenies, that's fine, I suppose."

"Um…"

Sheldon shot her a look. "You haven't told him have you?"

"Well, I'm sure he…"

"So all this time, you never really belonged to me?" Sheldon asked shakily.

"Yes! I did…I do! Sheldon, I _never_ belonged to _him_!" Amy promised.

"As seeing as you no longer work for UCLA, why are you not informing him?" Sheldon asked.

"I haven't had a chance to. Besides, he knows my contract ended on my terms, which terminates the agreement I had with him; I just assumed that also cut off all supposed 'ties' I had with him. He deleted me off Facebook for a start!" Amy responded. "I took down all the camel race photos, and the photos taken in Riyadh all those years ago."

Sheldon looked at her.

"Did you love him?" He asked quietly.

"No." Amy shook her head. "Never. It was literally for the funding; he offered to help me, I never went to him. I love _you_, Sheldon."

Sheldon was about to open his mouth and say something, but Leonard stood up.

"Okay, can I say something?" He didn't wait for a reply. "Not so long ago, Amy thought that Sheldon had some kind of history with Ramona, which he didn't. Now Sheldon thinks Amy has some kind of history with this prince guy, and she doesn't. Both of you need to quit being so paranoid; you are both each other's first everything; everyone knows that, and _you _know that! And damn it you are so good together. Don't let stupid things like people you never even dated get in the way. Hell, you're married and have already renewed your vows, you have two very beautiful daughters on the way…The past is the past, and nothing even happened with these people, and you both know that, so for God's sake will both of you just kiss and make up and stop being so damn paranoid over absolutely nothing?!"

Amy and Sheldon stood staring at Leonard.

"He's right." Amy spoke first. "I can tell Faisal if you want me to, but he already knows because the university told him. He also saw me change my Facebook status out in Florida. I just never told him myself because I was too busy focusing on my future with you."

Sheldon smiled. "Leonard _is _right. You don't need to tell this prince anything Amy. And I'm sorry for questioning you."

"I'm sorry too." Amy replied, as she and Sheldon kissed.

"Okaaay, crisis averted. Can we carry on with this nursery now?" Leonard asked, impatiently.

"Of course." Sheldon replied, breaking away from Amy's lips. "Oh, Amy…I was wondering if I could paint a superhero mural in the babies' nursery for the longest time, but as seeing as now we're having two girls, they'd need to be super_heroines. _Is that okay?"

Amy shrugged. "Sure, as long as you make it tasteful and try to reduce their breast sizes, so that they don't encourage our daughters to have a negative self-image when they get older, go right ahead."

Sheldon and Leonard looked at each other.

"Okay, just Supergirl logos it is!" Leonard said.

"Oh come on, we need to include Wonderwoman and Catwoman in there somewhere!" Sheldon protested. "Amy, can't we just paint them how they are?"

"No."

"But…"

"No Sheldon."

"It's safer to just paint their logos on the wall." Leonard compromised.

Sheldon sighed. "Fine…Can I at least buy them little baby Catwoman or Wonderwoman or Batgirl or Supergirl costumes?"

"They have those?" Amy asked.

"Yes, look! They're too cute." Sheldon replied, as he tapped away on his phone and showed Amy the eBay listing.

"Awww!" She grinned, "Okay, let's get one of each!"

"Yes!" Sheldon punched the air. "We are going to have the most spoilt children ever!"


	61. Chapter 61

"Amy, they're here!"

Amy looked up from her baby book and stood, padding into the living room.

It was a week later, and Sheldon had just been downstairs to collect the post.

He was holding a couple of letters, and a package.

"What's here?" Amy asked.

Sheldon opened the packaging and pulled out four little baby costumes, lining them up on the kitchen island, as Amy sat on a stool next to him.

"Oh those are even more adorable close-up!" Amy grinned, as she picked one up and studied it.

"I know." Sheldon replied. "The best part is, we can mix and match with the babies, so they each get a chance to wear them!"

He placed the Batgirl costume he was holding onto Amy's baby bump and stood back.

At that moment, one of the twins kicked and the outfit slid off and fell to the floor.

"Oh no! They don't like them!" Sheldon said sadly.

"They can't see them." Amy laughed. "They just kicked at the wrong time, that's all."

"Do you realize that you could go into labor at any moment?" Sheldon suddenly said.

Amy looked up, wide-eyed. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me!"

"No, I just mean that we haven't chosen names yet." Sheldon replied, as he sat on the spare stool and pondered, keeping his eye on Amy's stomach.

"I can't think of anything." He concluded.

"I have a book of names." Amy said, standing up.

"Where is it? I'll get it." Sheldon said, immediately standing again, and gently pressing Amy's shoulder so that she would sit back down.

"In the bookcase over there, next to the book on genetics."

Sheldon frowned at her and opened his mouth to speak.

"I don't have an organizational schematic for my books Sheldon." Amy sighed, before he could speak.

"Good Lord, how do you ever find anything?"

"I use these things called eyes."

"Yes, but it would take much less time to find something if you organized things and knew where they were."

"I _do _know where it is. It's next to my Genetics book." Amy smiled, "And not really, Sheldon. It takes more time to fuss over things and organize them perfectly, than it does to just put them in any order and just look for it normally."

Sheldon started twitching a little.

Her logic was sound, and he knew it.

"Hmm." Was all he said, as he wandered over to the bookcase and pulled out the baby name book.

"See?" Amy grinned. "That took you about five seconds."

Sheldon said nothing, still stumped by Amy's point.

Amy knew that this was hard for him to accept, so she said nothing else, and changed the subject.

"So…Are there any names you _don't_ like?"

Sheldon thought for a moment. "I don't like Leslie." He replied, "I also don't like Ramona, Melissa or any of those typical teenage-girl names one would hear shouted across a mall."

Amy laughed. "Okay, I understand why you wouldn't like Ramona or Leslie, after what you told me about those two. But what's wrong with Melissa?"

"That's my twin sister's name."

"I thought her name was Missy?"

"Missy is a nickname; short for Melissa." Sheldon explained.

"Oh…Why don't you…"

"She was mean to me when we were younger."

Amy nodded. "Okay, noted."

"And also not Penny."

"Why would I name one of our daughters Penny when that is my best friend's name?" Amy frowned.

"For the reason that I now associate the name Penny with ditzy blondes who like to have a mild dependence on alcohol, far too much wild fun, and too much coitus with random strangers. I don't want our girls to turn out like that, too." Sheldon explained.

"You have basically just insulted my best friend." Amy replied. "And for that, I will flick you."

Amy flicked Sheldon's arm.

He looked down at his arm, frowning.

"That was a little uncalled for."

Amy ignored him as she flicked through the pages of girls' names. "Oh, what about Andrea?"

Sheldon wrinkled his nose.

"No? Okay…" Amy continued leafing through the names, calling out ones she liked.

Of course, Sheldon didn't find them acceptable.

Once they had reached the letter C, Amy was growing impatient.

"Carla?"

"No."

"Ugh, for God's sake Sheldon!" Amy snapped. "It's not like I am naming _you _any of these things!"

Sheldon flinched at Amy's tone.

"I'm sorry." He said, "I just don't like them."

Amy sighed. "No, I'm sorry for snapping. Hormones…Well, why don't I give you the book to look through?"

She pushed it over to Sheldon, and watched him scan the names. "What if we like more than two names?"

"Well we write all the ones we like down, and then eliminate any we don't like as much as the others, and then choose from there. Don't forget that we can use some of them as middle names." Amy replied.

Sheldon looked up at her. "So…We'd be writing a list?"

"Yeah…"

"I like making lists."

"I know you do Sheldon, so come on. Get writing."

Sheldon excitedly pulled a spare notepad out of his desk and grabbed a pen.

"I'll categorize them alphabetically, and then again by meaning." He decided out loud.

"Sounds good." Amy replied, as she peered over at the book.

Within seconds, she saw Sheldon scribbling, and smiled.

_Way to keep the peace and get things done! _She thought.

..

A short while later, Sheldon looked up.

"I have listed some names up to the letter K," he said, "But there's something that I am unsure of."

"What's that?" Amy asked.

"How will we decide which baby gets which name?"

Amy raised her eyebrows.

_He has a point!_

"I'm not sure." She admitted. "We don't even know if they are going to be identical or not at the moment."

"They don't look identical from the 3D scans." Sheldon replied.

"We can't tell from that." Amy shook her head, "I guess we will just have to wait until they're born and find out then."

Sheldon blinked. "But I thought we were choosing names now?"

"Well we are, but we can make our final decision once they arrive."

"I wish they'd arrive now."

"I don't." Amy muttered.

Unfortunately for her, Sheldon's Vulcan hearing picked up what she said, and he shot her a shocked look.

"What!? Why?"

"I am terrified of going into labor and I am terrified about giving birth or having a C-section." Amy admitted. "I know I told you I'm scared, but the truth is I'm not scared…I'm _terribly _scared."

"What are you afraid of?" Sheldon asked softly, snaking an arm around his wife.

"The pain, how long it will take, will they make it? Will _I _make it? Will you freak out and faint or run out of the room?…" Amy replied, before pausing for breath.

"I can tell you the answer to the last one." Sheldon said. "No."

Amy smiled. "I'm looking forward to when they are here, but not giving birth." She admitted, "And I think I'll miss being pregnant."

"Really?"

"Yeah…It feels nice to have a life inside of me. Or in this case, _two _lives. Ones that we created together, and I can feel them moving and growing..."

"Well…You _can_ get pregnant more than once…" Sheldon replied, not making eye contact.

Amy stared at him. "Wait, are you suggesting…?"

From the look on her husband's face, she knew exactly what he was suggesting.

"We are about to have twins! Do we really want any more children? What if I fall pregnant with another set of twins?" She frowned.

"I was only making a suggestion." Sheldon replied, quietly. "I like when you're pregnant too. Even though your moods change, and you get emotional, I quite like how close and connected we are. I love being able to kiss or touch your stomach and feel the babies move."

"I like that too." Amy nodded, "And when you talk to them. You've become like a whole different person since I fell pregnant, yet you've also kind of remained the same."

"There's one thing I haven't done yet, which I'd like to do." Sheldon confessed.

Amy frowned at him. "What's that?"

Sheldon leaned down right near Amy's baby bump and took a deep breath.

"Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur. Happy kitty sleepy kitty, purr, purr, purr."

He dropped a kiss on her stomach and sat back up, where he found Amy staring at him wide-eyed.

"You are perfect!" She said, lunging at him with a kiss.

Sheldon was shocked at first, but he wrapped his arms around her and tilted his head slightly, responding to Amy's kiss.

She intensified it, until they were breathing heavily, aroused.

Within moments, Amy had taken the throw off the back of the couch and draped it over the both of them, tugging at the zip on Sheldon's pants.

Once they were both undressed, Scooby whined from his basket.

"You might not want to stay in here, Scooby." Amy warned.

The Fox Terrier immediately bolted into the back of the apartment, as Sheldon flipped Amy so that he was on top, kissing her hard and gliding his tongue across her lower lip.

Amy guided him into her, and moved her hips up to meet his.

Letting out a moan, Sheldon stopped her. "Don't let me go too deep…The babies…"

"Okay." Amy replied, bringing her hips back down again and letting Sheldon take over.

He pushed himself into Amy some of the way, before pulling almost all the way out again, and repeating.

He leaned down on his front, and lightly pressed his body down onto Amy's so that their skin touched, placing one hand onto the side of her bump, stroking lightly.

Amy reached around, grabbing Sheldon's butt tightly, bringing him closer.

Sheldon kissed all the way from Amy's lips and planted kisses on her neck, collarbone and her breasts.

Amy felt herself getting close, and moaned loudly.

"Oh God Sheldon…I'm going to…" She trailed off as she and Sheldon climaxed together, moaning and breathing heavily.

Once they had calmed down, Sheldon removed himself from Amy's body, kissing her lovingly.

She felt movement from inside her stomach and looked down.

"I wasn't the only one who enjoyed that!" She grinned.

Sheldon looked at her, horrified. "Amy!"

"What?"

"That's it. As much as it pains me to say this, no more coitus until they are born!" Sheldon said firmly.

"But…"

"No buts."

Amy huffed and rolled her eyes, as she and Sheldon lay together quietly, with him softly stroking her bump.

There was silence for a few moments, until Sheldon looked down at her.

"How exactly did we get from me singing _Soft Kitty_ to having intercourse?"

Amy just raised her eyebrows and smiled cheekily.

"Vixen." Sheldon muttered.

..


	62. Chapter 62

Later that evening, Amy wandered over to where Sheldon was now sat, glancing at the list.

"Well, it took long enough, but I narrowed it down." He said.

Amy took the notebook and read the names that he had listed;

_Ava, Cadence, Harmony, Lily, Melody, Olivia, Paige, Sienna, Zoe _

"They're all adorable!" She said, "They're probably the names I would have chosen. So…No comic book names? No scientist names?"

Sheldon shook his head.

"I thought about it," He admitted, "But I liked these names in the book. Besides, I thought they should have modern names so that they fit in with modern times. That and with you for a mother, our girls will be pretty, so they need pretty names to match."

"Aww!" Amy grinned, kissing him on the lips.

"I also wanted to add 'Farrah' because that's your middle name and I like it…"

"You're sweet. We could use it as one of their middle names?"

Sheldon nodded. "We could."

Amy kissed him again, and then in a moment of arousal, pressed herself right up against him.

Sheldon grunted, and stepped back. "What are you doing, my little Vixen?"

"I'm coming on to you, my Texan Stud." She replied, huskily, leaning in to kiss him again.

"Amy…No. We can't. Not until the babies are born…They can feel us doing it!"

Amy pouted and sighed, before sitting down.

Sheldon looked down at her and noticed her expression had changed.

"We can do other things," he said, "Just not intercourse. Don't make that face at me, come on." He held his hand out but Amy ignored him, and leaned forward, clutching her stomach.

"Are you getting those Braxton things again?" Sheldon asked now, gently rubbing Amy's back.

"I don't know…Maybe." She replied, breathlessly.

"Would you like to lay on the bed with me and relax?"

Amy nodded in reply.

Sheldon helped her up, but she almost instantly yelped, doubling over.

"Amy?" He was scared now, and felt helpless.

Amy cried out in pain, grabbing on to Sheldon's arm.

That was when the cold, hard reality hit him.

These were contractions…

..

"Amy…Amy. Listen to me."

Amy looked up.

"R-remember what Julie said? Y-you need to breathe like you did in those exercises." Sheldon said, his voice trembling.

Nodding, Amy tried her hardest whilst Sheldon whipped out his phone and text Julie;

_Julie, its Sheldon Cooper. Amy is having what I believe are contractions. I have told her to breathe like we practised, but I don't know what else to do. _

He pocketed his phone, but seconds later, he received a reply;

_Thank you for telling me, and well done. I'll be right over. – Julie._

Sheldon turned to face Amy, who was now beginning to calm down.

"Sheldon, I'm scared." She said, tearfully.

He hugged her close.

"I know." He spoke into her hair. "But I'm here."

Amy nodded, breathing deeply.

Moments later, she doubled over in pain again, crying.

"Oh God, make it stop!"

Unfortunately for Amy, Sheldon knew it was going to get much worse, but he didn't say anything.

He just held her, and kept her as calm as possible until Julie arrived.

Once she did arrive and gave Amy a quick check, she offered to drive both of them to the hospital.

Sheldon felt lucky that he and Amy had packed her hospital bag early, knowing full well that twins were almost always born early, and had wanted to be prepared.

Upon arriving, Amy's waters broke in the parking lot, and her fear intensified.

"I'm not ready. I can't give birth; not yet." She panicked.

"I'm sorry Amy; unfortunately the babies are saying otherwise. We'll do everything we can to keep you calm." Julie replied, softly.

..

The hospital admitted Amy into their only available private suite, and called for a doctor to come down to her room as soon as possible.

Sheldon had informed his and Amy's mothers, and all of their friends.

Mary had said that she would get the next flight to LA with Meemaw, Missy and George Jnr.

Mrs Fowler had promised to be right there, and so had the gang.

Unfortunately, they weren't allowed in the delivery suite with Amy and Sheldon, so they were all waiting in the waiting room.

Amy was still stressed, so Sheldon took her hand.

"Amy, I know you're scared but please try to calm down. It isn't good for you or the babies…Do you want me to help soothe you?"

Amy nodded in response.

Sheldon fluffed up Amy's pillows, and stood up.

He pulled up the back of her hospital gown and asked Julie if she had any baby oil.

"As a matter of fact, I do." She smiled. "Well done for remembering what to do."

Sheldon smiled weakly as he sprayed the oil on to his hands and then began to massage Amy's lower back and her sides.

She began to relax almost immediately.

That was until the doctor came in.

"Hello Amy. I'm Doctor Paula Stone; I'll be delivering your baby…Sorry, _babies _today!" She smiled.

The woman looked about 40 years old, and had sleek brown hair, tied up into a ponytail.

She pulled on her gloves and conversed with Julie, before performing a quick cervical exam.

"You're 6cm at the moment." Dr Stone said.

"Is that all?" Amy asked, breathlessly.

"Yes, but by the looks of things, it won't be much longer. These babies want out!" Dr Stone replied.

"I can't." Amy wept. "I'm too scared. I can't do it."

Sheldon continued to massage Amy and kissed her on the cheek multiple times, until she was calmer.

A couple of hours later, Dr Stone checked again for the third time.

"8cm. That's not bad…Not much longer now Amy, I promise." She said.

"I'm only eight months pregnant," Amy shook her head. "Why couldn't they have waited?"

"You have to remember that you're carrying twins, sweetie." Julie replied, "It's pretty cramped in there!"

Amy felt another contraction and cried out in pain.

Sheldon handed her the gas and air tube, still rubbing her back.

He glanced at the clock, realizing that they had been here for almost three whole hours now.

_This must be the quickest labor ever! _He thought.

As he thought that, Amy grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight as another contraction hit her hard.

"Oh God, I think they're coming now, Sheldon!" She panicked.

"Uh, okay…R-remember to breathe." He said, "And every time you feel pain, squeeze my hand really hard."

"Sheldon, could you get me some ice chips?" Amy asked, breathlessly.

"I don't want to leave you." He replied.

"The machine is literally outside this door." Julie said, as she called for the doctor again and made some notes.

Sheldon looked down at Amy, feeling torn.

"Please Sheldon." Amy begged.

"Okay. I'll be right back, I promise." He replied, reluctantly letting go of her hand.

He hurried out of the room to the ice machine, and filled a cup, before returning to Amy.

He helped her to drink some of the melted ice, until another contraction hit her and she felt an urge to push.

"Oh no…They're definitely coming _now_! Sheldon, I can't do this!" She cried.

"Yes you can. Just hold on to me." He replied, suddenly feeling scared himself, but also excited.

Dr Stone returned to the room and performed another cervical check.

"Okay Amy. That's 10cm; these impatient little babies are coming now!" She said.

"Oh God, no!" Amy cried, throwing her head back to the pillows.

"Amy, look at me." Sheldon said. "We're in this together. Just think what we'll have at the end of all of this. And I am not going anywhere…Trust me."

Amy nodded; she really did trust him.

"I trust you." She replied, gripping his hand tightly and starting to push as hard as she could.

"Good, you're doing really well. Couple more." Dr Stone said, encouragingly.

Amy pushed again, passing the head through.

"That's the head, Amy! One more."

Amy shook her head, tiredly.

"Come on Vixen." Sheldon said softly beside her.

Gathering up all the energy she could, Amy pushed again and the first of their twins entered the world with a tiny cry.

"Congratulations Amy; one girl. We'll cut the cord, weigh her and clean her up for you." Dr Stone said, as Julie cleaned up the baby, weighed her and wrapped her up, before placing her gently into the little hospital crib. "She's nice and healthy; 5lbs 7oz. That's not bad for an early twin!"

Amy nodded, feeling weak.

Dr Stone did another cervical exam.

"10cm; baby number two is on its way!" She said, but as she looked up at a very tired and weak Amy, she could see that she would have trouble delivering this baby.

Dr Stone made a quick decision.

"I'll call down to the O.R and prep you for surgery; I'm afraid this baby will need to be delivered by C-section."

"No." Amy spoke up. "I'll deliver naturally."

Dr Stone bit her lip. "Amy, you're looking weaker than you were earlier. I don't think…"

Before she could finish, Amy had mustered up all her strength and pushed again.

Dr Stone had no choice but to get back into position and help Amy deliver.

Already, Amy had pushed out the top of the baby's head, and was still going.

She grabbed Sheldon's hand and squeezed tight.

"One more Amy. You can do it." He whispered.

Amy gave one last push and it was all over.

The cord was cut and another cry filled the air.

Amy slumped back on her pillows, exhausted, sweating and emotional.

Once the second baby was cleaned, weighed and wrapped up, both babies were handed to their mother.

"Congratulations guys; two little girls. Your second was only an ounce lighter than the first. Well done." Dr Stone smiled.

"Congratulations you two." Julie grinned.

Amy just held the two tiny bundles close to her, crying with relief. "They're so beautiful!" She said, wiping a tear away.

"They are; I'm so proud of you." Sheldon said softly, kissing Amy on the lips, before looking really closely at their two newborn babies.

"They're perfect, but not identical at all." He smiled.

Amy shook her head. "The bigger baby looks more like you." She said, as the newborn in question opened her eyes and revealed a bright blue, which matched her father's, along with a tiny tuft of dark hair.

The smaller twin had green-blue eyes and slightly lighter hair, like Amy.

Amy moved over, letting Sheldon sit on the edge of the bed.

"Here you are." She said, handing both of the babies over, once he was safely seated. "This is your daddy."

He brought his knees up towards his body, and held the babies safely against them, marvelling at them, silently and adoringly.

Amy rested her head on his shoulder, and heard him swallow.

She looked up, and saw Sheldon's eyes reddening as he sniffed.

"Sheldon Lee Cooper, are you crying?" She teased.

Normally, he would have said no, so as not to dent his pride.

But right now, his pride wasn't something he cared about.

"Yes." He nodded, letting a tear fall as he held the twins closer.

"Aw, you big softie." Amy smiled. "We have to name them next."

She reached across to the bedside table and picked up the list that Sheldon had written earlier, and held it up in front of them both.

"What do you think?" She asked.

Sheldon quickly looked at the list and back down at their babies.

"I don't know…" He pondered. "What should we call you?".

..


	63. Chapter 63

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews on the last couple of chapters! :) The Cooper twins now have names!**

**..**

Sheldon looked down at the baby he was holding, as Amy held the other.

Amy was holding the smaller twin who mostly resembled her, whilst Sheldon held the baby which mostly resembled him.

"I like Melody for this one." Sheldon said, stroking her tiny tuft of jet black hair. "If you don't mind, I'd like to use my mother's name in her middle name? Except instead of _actual _Mary, I'll use the French version of Mary…So, Marie."

"That's fine." Amy replied, "Melody Marie Cooper. It fits. I like Ava for this one…But I have no ideas for a middle name."

"Farrah." Sheldon replied. "Your middle name."

"It's also my mother's middle name." Amy confessed, "it's kind of tradition."

"That's perfect then." Sheldon smiled. "Ava and Melody Cooper."

"It suits them." Amy nodded. "Should we invite the others in now?"

"You need some rest." Sheldon replied. "You just gave birth to twins and you're exhausted."

"Just quickly then." Amy tried. "I want them to see the babies."

Sheldon wrinkled his nose. "Okay…" He stood up and handed Melody back to her mother. "I'll gather everyone."

..

Sheldon walked out into the waiting room where his mother stood with Missy, George and Meemaw, Amy's mother, Penny, Leonard, Howard, Bernadette and Raj.

They spotted Sheldon and opened their eyes wide, expectantly.

"They're here." He grinned.

Everyone cheered, clapping and running to hug Sheldon and pat him on the shoulder.

He wasn't bothered by all the touching, in fact he was relieved.

"Uh…Families first guys, if you don't mind? Amy's really tired so we'll need to make the visits quick." He said.

"That's fine." The gang replied.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." Sheldon promised as he led his family and Amy's mother into the private suite.

Amy's mom gasped as she hurried over to her daughter and gave her a swift hug and kiss on the cheek.

"They're beautiful, Amy!" She smiled.

Mary was on the other side of Amy.

"They are! I'm so proud of you two."

"Oh they are so cute! What did you call them?" Missy asked.

"This one is Ava, and this is Melody." Amy replied, showing off the twins.

"Wow! Ava looks so much like you Amy!" Missy grinned, "And Melody looks almost exactly like Sheldon."

"Poor kid." George joked, making everyone laugh.

Once their families' visiting time was up, Sheldon invited their friends in.

"Oh Amy!" Penny gasped as she walked in. "They are _so_ cute and tiny!"

"They really are beautiful." Bernadette agreed.

Amy smiled as she introduced the twins to their friends.

"I'm surprised Sheldon didn't run out of there in a panic!" Leonard joked.

"He stayed the entire time." Amy replied. "Like he said he would. I was worried too, but I didn't need to be."

Sheldon smiled proudly.

"Well, the hard part is over." Howard said. "You get to take them home in a couple days, right?"

Amy nodded. "Hopefully. They're healthy and happy." She confirmed.

Raj leaned forward. "They are the cutest babies I've ever seen. It's kind of making me broody…You know, in a manly way."

Everyone raised their eyebrows at him.

"Oh come on, you know I'm going out with Alex now!" He replied.

Everyone else nodded, but Amy and Sheldon frowned.

"You are?"

"Yes. She's officially my girlfriend; she has been since your Anniversary." Raj confirmed. "We're having an amazing time too."

"Wow, we've been so wrapped up in baby stuff that we never even knew." Amy said, regretfully. "Congratulations, Raj."

"Don't worry about it." He replied. "May I hold one?"

"Sure." Amy nodded, handing Raj Ava.

Their friends all took it in turns to hold the twins, until the babies got fed up of all the attention and started to cry.

"Alright, come on." Sheldon said softly, as Leonard handed Ava over to him. "We'll leave you to sleep now."

He placed Ava in the crib, and then Melody, dropping a kiss on each of their heads.

Amy stretched tiredly and felt her eyelids growing heavy.

"We'll leave you all in peace now." Penny smiled. "Congratulations guys. We'll see you tomorrow."

She hugged Amy, and then Sheldon as the group left the new parents to rest.

Sheldon sat beside Amy and held her hand again as she closed her eyes.

"You were brilliant Sheldon." She murmured. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me." He replied. "I told you I'd be here…I can't believe that we're parents."

"I know." Amy answered, rolling onto her side, facing him. "You're a daddy! And a brilliant one at that."

Sheldon just smiled.

Amy sighed, as she felt sleep take over her body.

Sheldon leaned over to kiss her, still holding her hand as he closed his own eyes.

..

***The End***

**Thank you so much to everyone who read this fic and enjoyed it; I really appreciate it!**

**I'll be writing a sequel to this, focusing on Amy and Sheldon's life with the twins, if anyone is interested? :)**

**It's probably going to go up either later or tomorrow.**

**I thought that 63 chapters were enough for this particular fanfic, so will be carrying on with their story (now featuring Ava and Melody!) in another fanfic to make things easier!**

**Again, thanks so much for reading and reviewing. You've been great!**

**x**


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